Max Alder is known worldwide as the bully Dave Karofsky on the hit TV show Glee, but outside of his acting career he is encouraging fans to fight against his character’s tormenting ways.
As a devoted advocate of children’s rights to have a bully free childhood, Adler has inspired fans around the world to donate over $6000 to City Hearts: Kids Say ‘Yes’ to Arts in a matter of days.
City Hearts is a not-for-profit Los Angeles based organisation dedicated to using the arts to break the cycle of poverty, neglect, abuse, homelessness, delinquency and violence that destroys children’s lives.
Founded on the belief that the arts is one of the most powerful tools to communicate and rehabilitate troubled children and youth, City Hearts provides a loving, nurturing and supportive environment in which children can participate in both visual and performing arts classes.
As the organisation’s international spokesperson, Alder decided to create the e-fundraiser Max’s ABC: Anti-Bullying through City Hearts campaign in celebration with his 26th Birthday and the organisation’s 27th Anniversary.
In mid-January, the Glee star took to Facebook and Twitter requesting, “This year, for my 26th birthday, I am asking anyone who wishes to give me a gift to please visit www.cityhearts.org and donate what they can to help the kids who truly could use it. That would be the absolute best birthday present for me!”
In just over a week supporters from America to Canada, the UK, Norway, Italy and Belgium donated more than $6000.
“If we educate today’s youth to stand up for one another and treat each other equally and with mutual respect, regardless of gender, creed, wealth, status or sexual orientation we can turn bullying into a thing of the past and things will start to change significantly,” Adler wrote on City Hearts’ website.
“When you express yourself creatively, you become more confident and happy with who you are, and don’t feel the need to belittle or degrade others. My goal is to inspire kids to be brave enough to be kind.”
“I know that City Hearts’ theatre, dance, photography and other arts programs stimulate these children’s creativity, and give them a higher sense of self-esteem and purpose in the community and the world and when that happens, the thought of bullying others will not even enter their headspace.”
Adler is asking friends and fans to make birthday contributions of $7, $17, $27, $127, $1027 and $1127 or more, in association with City Hearts’ 27th Anniversary.
The campaign runs for three months through to April 17, during which time each donation will be matched by a donation from the Frieda C. Fox Family Foundation.
As this is an ‘all or nothing challenge’, City Hearts must raise at least $7000 in contributions to qualify for the matching funds.
To learn more about ‘Max’s ABC: Anti-Bullying through City Hearts’ or to donate, visit http://cityhearts.org/new/?page_id=1103
To learn more about City Hearts: Kids Say ‘Yes’ to the Arts, visit http://cityhearts.org/new/
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