My friend Brandon is the director of this organization called Amizade which is headquartered here in Pittsburgh.  They do so much good work around the world — their web site doesn’t actually spend the time it should tooting its own horn.  One of the big things they do is help people have access to clean water by building water tanks so that people — in particular, women and children — don’t have to walk miles every day to get clean water.  They are a service-oriented group whose primary interest is in being a good global citizen.  I admire their work very much.  Also, you may remember Brandon from this entry!

That said, for the next 48 hours, you can donate $50 without paying anything or doing much.  The company that prints their t-shirts is giving $200k to whatever charity folks nominate.  PLEASE, if you’re awesome, do this.  The money you manage to get donated to them makes a huge difference!  Also, it puts them in the runnning to win another $50K.  Money like that would absolutely change what this group could do in the world for the better (giving them the ability to do so much more).  I’ve heard Brandon fighting on the phone with corporations about air fares and so forth.  Please do this!

OK. 
1.  Click this: http://apps.facebook.com/gildanisupportcontes/contests/91387/voteable_entries
2.  Click “Submit Your Own Entry to nominate Amizade, then you will have to allow the Gildan app to access your Facebook.  I promise they won’t do anything evil and you can uninstall the app after the contest is over (in two days).
3.  Fill out the entry form, nominate (+submit your own entry) Amizade Global Service-Learning.  Here you can write about why you support this organization.  I did this, but I inderstand if you don’t want to.  However, read their web site (linked above).  This is a group that only does good, and they really deserve recognition and support.  For some reason, they also want you to upload a picture of yourself.  I didn’t do that, though.  What you write helps the judges decide to whom to give that extra $50k.
4.  Vote and leave comments!  You can vote for the other things Amizade are nominated for.
5.  Now — and this is important!!!  A gift card will come in your email.  Mine was in the spam folder on gmail.  And it doesn’t happen immediately!  You’ll get it within a few hours.  It’ll say something about a “Gildan Good Card” in the subject, I think.  Click the link in the email, search for Amizade, Ltd, and enter your promo code. 

Presto!  You’ve done your good deed for the day!  For real, you know I’m not really the “promote stuff” kind of a person, but I really feel that THIS is worth it.  It’s only a little annoying, and you’re giving $50 to a service organization that can really, really use it.  It ends at the end of this month, though.  Do it today, and pass it along to your friends.

And thank you thank you thank you thank you.