On Friday night, (5 May) I arrived at the Yasmar Training Facility in Haberfield with The Guardian's Ian McClelland, IAB CEO Vijay Solanki and RadiumOne's Adam Furness, after a quick pint in a Surry Hills local before we set off. We were full of jokes about life behind bars, prison slang and what lay ahead of us, but what we actually experienced in the 15 hours we spent taking part in WhiteLion's annual Bail Out was completely different to what any of us imagined. Partly it felt like school camp, or the weirdest sleepover you’ve ever been to.
There were 13 of us in the Adland Gang, each with a minimum fundraising target of $1000. But between myself, PwC's Megan Brownlow; Google's Jason Pellegrino, OMD's Aimee Buchanan APN's Tony Kendall, Mindshare's Kerry Field and Katie Rigg-Smith, Ogilvy's David Fox, UnLtd's Paul Fisher, Mumbrella's Tim Burrowes and Solanki, McClelland and Furness, we raised more than $27,000.
Buchanan smashed the fundraising with the most at $4320.
We had a lot of fun, don't get me wrong, but the giggles were served hand in hand with a sucker punch of harsh reality. (The donation portal is still open, so you can still help us boost our total - some of the photos below are worth a few dollars donation just to see this lot dressed in yellow jumpsuits.)
It kicked off with being shouted at and disciplined by guards as we were processed, stripped of our belongings, dressed in bright yellow (UnLtd branded) jumpsuits, our fingerprints and mugshots taken, and then held in cells. We were fighting back the giggles and a few of us were lucky enough to have to drop and do 10 push ups, or spend some quality time locked up in solitary in what was lovingly referred to as ‘the cage’, if one of the guards didn't like the look of us.
Here, there were no drinks on arrival and no waiters standing at the entrance with a tray of beers, wine and bubbles as many of us are used to at industry events we might arrive at together.
It was an intense immersion in the experiences of people who have had a frankly horrific start in life, how many of them overcame their issues and what an organisation like WhiteLion does to keep those kids out of jail by helping them find somewhere to live, a support network, mentoring and education.
After two hours of processing, and before we were locked into cells to spend the night, the focal point of the event was a two-hour immersive education program made up of four separate sessions - each hosted by someone with a different perspective. Whether it's a traumatic story to tell about their childhood experience, or their involvement with young people affected by abuse, drug use, homelessness and a multitude of issues, each was far away from the media and advertising lives we lead.
Whether it's a 22-year-old boy from an abusive home, living on the streets and battling an addiction to coke and ice, or a woman who was subjected to brutal sexual abuse from the age of three, or a man who on his 12th birthday was dumped at the door of a boy's home by his father and left a ward of the state who battled drink and drug problems all his life, spent years behind bars, suffered depression and suicide attempts – none of it was easy to hear. But they all retold their stories and relived the horrors with the unifying thought that if they can help make something good come out of it, they have done their bit.
It was a humbling experience, yet inspirational and utterly depressing at the same time.
There were tears and disbelief that any of this stuff goes on at all. It slammed us into an alternate reality being levied by thousands of young people in Sydney, Australia, and all over the world, who have not been as lucky as we are.
For me, it was confronting and emotionally draining. It took me the rest of the weekend to even start to get my head around it and I’m sill processing it now. It made me realise there’s so much more that I could be doing to make a positive change for others. I live in a place that I love, surrounded by friends I hold dear and despite their distance I know my family will always be there when I need them. It’s not like that for everyone.
I certainly won’t be turning into a modern-day Mother Theresa any time soon, but you don't need to be a saint to do something that matters. It doesn’t have to be a huge commitment of time, money or resource.
I think it touched us all and made us rethink how we take our good fortune for granted, and most of all how do we now go on to make a difference to someone’s life beyond our one night stay in jail and a spike of fundraising.
Overall the gang raised more than $27k - and every penny of it will be go towards funding WhiteLion’s programs across Australia. But what they, and other charities need, is something else we can easily provide. Not for profit organisations need the skills that we as an industry have in abundance. Whether its strategic advice, business advice, help with getting the accounts done, some posters designed or articles written - these things and commitment from volunteers, are invaluable.
So while you might have missed out on seeing UnLtd CEO Paul Fisher made to stand on a chair in a dining hall and dance like a chicken by a guard after trying to pass me a cookie at meal time, or OMD CEO Aimee Buchanan made to do push-ups as punishment for laughing too much, or PwC’s Megan Brownlow smuggling in contraband lip balm in under her overalls, you can still think about how you can help out someone in a difficult position.
Get in touch with UnLtd or with WhiteLion directly to see how you can make a difference.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop me a line at rosiebaker@yaffa.com.au
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