I love how our cherished band, “One Direction,” ended up pulling us fans in, well, many different directions, both mentally and emotionally. Although Harry, Louis, Niall, Liam, and Zayn caused us to feel so much, they kept us on a path filled with joy, excitement, and adoration. Sure, we felt some heartache and a little bit of pain along the way, but the majority of us never strayed from following them.
One thing that stands out is the profound effect that the band had on us on so many levels. They made sure that we felt and knew that we mattered and we were loved, supported, and valued. They made us strong. Lives were touched; lives were changed; lives were saved.
This same effect has been felt all over the world, and because of One Direction’s big-hearted disposition and power to inspire, it wasn’t just limited to everyday fans in the fandom; it could even be felt by people that may have never heard of the band or their music. Through their beautiful support of charitable giving, the number of lives they have touched, changed, saved, and strengthened, and those that will feel this influence in the future, is ultimately infinite. There is no end to that or our love for One Direction.
In honor of the group’s work and to add to this issue’s nostalgia, let’s have our emotions pulled in many directions again as we “walk down memory lane” with some of the band’s best charity moments.
Jingle Bell Ball
The band participated in the annual Jingle Bell Ball concert in 2011, 2012, and 2015. A portion of ticket sales to the event, hosted by radio station Capital FM at the O2 Arena in London, were donated to Capital’s flagship charity Global’s Make Some Noise.
The charity works to support smaller charities (food banks, helplines, career/employment programs, etc.) throughout the UK by helping improve life skills, encouraging the importance of mental and physical health, providing shelter and safety, and preventing isolation.
Alzheimer’s Association
In September 2012, (with September designated as World Alzheimer’s Month), the band supported The Elephant Project to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. Louis, Harry, Niall, Zayn, and Liam each signed a purple elephant Beanie Baby that would be auctioned off on eBay to raise funds for the Association. Other celebrities also joined in, including Justin Bieber and Ian Somerhalder.
Comic Relief
In January 2013, the band made an emotional visit to underprivileged areas in Ghana. They met families living in poor conditions and young children that were suffering from life threatening illnesses/diseases that were easily preventable through vaccines.
Deeply moved by the experience, the band teamed up with Comic Relief, a UK-based charity with a vision of a poverty-free world and a mission to influence change through the power of entertainment. Fittingly, 2013 marked the 25th anniversary of Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day, a fundraising campaign that exposed the issues of poverty through performance, theatrics, and comedy (symbolized by the “red nose” of a clown).
Supporting the campaign was at the forefront of the band’s mind when they recorded the charity single “One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks),” a unique mash-up cover of the hit songs by Blondie and the Undertones, respectively. Released in February 2013, all royalties from the single were waived by One Direction, Sony, and iTunes and donated to Red Nose Day. More than $2.5 million (over £2million) was raised and the song was at the top of the charts in 63 countries a week after its release. Additionally, instead of spending money on a music video for the song, the band decided to create their own and donate what they saved to the Red Nose Day campaign. The video is a masterpiece of Louis, Harry, Liam, Niall, and Zayn being their cheeky selves throughout New York, Africa, Japan, and London, complete with a cameo by British Prime Minister David Cameron.
The band also supported and raised funds for Red Nose Day by executing a sponsored silence, dying their hair red, inspiring fans to bake cakes, and donating the outfits they wore in Ghana and during their performance of “One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)” at the BRIT Awards.
Anti-Bullying/ISPCC and Office Depot
One Direction supported two anti-bullying movements in 2013.In March, they appeared on billboards across Ireland in support of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) and their Shield anti-bullying campaign (also backed by The Script, Little Mix, and Colin Farrell, among others).
The campaign focused on assisting organizations in their efforts to prevent bullying and protect youth, providing programs that included a dedicated bullying support service and a self-evaluation tool to reduce bullying in schools
In May, the band partnered with the American-based company Office Depot to be part of their anti-bullying campaign that they launched during the back-to-school season. The band broadcasted an anti-bullying message on television, at their concerts, in print/digital advertising, and through online/social media sites.
Office Depot unveiled an exclusive line of limited-edition school products with images of the band (both together and individually) that included inspirational words of empowerment chosen by each member. Using augmented-reality technology embedded in the Office Depot app, the images unlocked exclusive One Direction content.
Items included binders, notebooks, pens, composition books, and memo pads along with merchandise items like decals, wristbands, and nail polish. All were priced under $10 (most under $5) so all students could have the opportunity to make a purchase and be part of the campaign. A percentage of sales of each product was donated to fund anti-bullying education.
Stand Up To Cancer
Also in May 2013, the band supported Stand Up To Cancer by donating over 50p (approximately $1.27) from every ticket sold on the British leg of the Where We Are Tour. With a mission to raise funds to quicken the pace of groundbreaking research, Stand Up To Cancer also generates awareness, provides education on cancer prevention, and assists cancer patients in becoming long-term survivors. The final donated total was £600,000 (approximately $758,000).
In August of that same year the band offered fans a chance to win a VIP trip to Miami that included return flights to the city, accommodations, tickets to the final show of the Where We Are Tour, signed merchandise, and a chance to meet the band in October. Fans entered the competition by donating £5 (approximately $6.30) to Stand Up To Cancer. In the end, 10,868 fans donated, raising £501,300 (approximately $633,000).
Global Citizen
One Direction was busy with charity work in May 2013! The band also teamed up with Global Citizen to inspire fans to be part of their movement that endorsed social change, justice, and activism, all with an underlying mission to end global poverty.
The Global Citizen Tickets campaign encouraged youth to volunteer their time while focusing on the need to end poverty and disease and strengthen female empowerment and global education.
Fans signed up on the Global Citizen website and proceeded to take action by signing petitions, contacting representatives, etc.. These actions earned them points that could be used to enter contests to win prizes/rewards, including tickets to One Direction concerts.
Other artists that participated include Pearl Jam, Black Sabbath, Bruce Springsteen, and the Foo Fighters, among others.
Rays of Sunshine
One Direction became an ambassador (I’ll call it a ray of sunshine) for the Rays of Sunshine charity in 2012. Formed in 2003, Rays of Sunshine provides support and grants wishes to brighten the lives of UK children between the ages of three and 18 that are living with serious illnesses.
In June 2013, the band put life-size cardboard cutouts of themselves on eBay to raise money for the charity (each one personalized with things like facial hair, messages, and autographs).
In June 2014, the band met with 60 fans from Rays of Sunshine before performing their three-night residency at Wembley. In December of that same year, they met with 36 fans at a special event that was organized by the charity. All of the children (some even arriving by ambulance) had the opportunity to ask questions, get hugs, and take a photo with the band. They also received a signed One Direction T-shirt, two tickets to the On the Road Again tour, and a bottle of the You and I fragrance (donated by The Fragrance Shop).
Autism/Irish Autism Action
In May 2014, Niall hosted a celebrity charity soccer (football) match to benefit Irish Autism Action (based in his hometown of Mullingar), along with the UK-based Heart and Minds Challenge and the Leicester Foxes Foundation. Bandmates Louis, Harry, and Liam became Niall’s teammates in his mission to raise funds for the charities.
Played at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, England, the band was joined by big names like Piers Morgan and Olly Murs, among many others.
The game raised more than $450,000 (over £355,000).
Small Steps Project
Louis, Harry, Liam, and Niall each donated a signed pair of their shoes to the Small Steps Project’s Celebrity Shoe Auction (yes, Harry donated Chelsea Boots) in October 2014.
The Small Steps Project is a UK-based humanitarian organization that supports families and children who survive from waste picking on landfills and rubbish dumps. Through film and photography they raise awareness of these hardships while also fighting for the equality of waste picker communities.
The Celebrity Shoe Auction generates half of their funding, helping them provide shoes to those in need and fund projects that work to bring children out of poverty.
Other celebrities that donated along with the band include Carrie Underwood, Liams Hemsworth, and Nicholas Hoult.
Band Aid 30
One Direction was the first artist confirmed for the recording of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” for Band Aid’s 30th anniversary in November 2014. Aimed at raising money for the fight against the Ebola crisis in Africa, this fourth version of the charity single debuted on November 16, 2014, during The X Factor in the UK. The band was joined by other artists including Ed Sheeran, Chris Martin, Sam Smith, and Bono.Action/1D
In July 2015, the band teamed up with the Action 2015 coalition, a group of over 1,600 worldwide organizations whose goal was to support the United Nations’ ‘2015 Time for Global Action’ campaign by confronting issues surrounding climate change, poverty, and inequality. Joining the Action/2015 movement under the name Action/1D, Harry, Louis, Niall, and Liam worked to raise awareness and encourage fans, particularly young people, to join in the effort to “change and better the future.”
The band acted to inspire individuals to gain the attention of world leaders and to make their voices be heard, especially since the two summits being hosted by the United Nations later in the year were anticipated to influence the global response to climate change. Encouraged to creatively answer the question “What do you want your world to look like?”, new weekly prompts were posted on the Action/1D website that were associated with a global issue and included instructions for a photo or video. One post requested that participants film a close-up of their face to depict and motivate conversations of the theme “Speak, Listen, Watch.”
Fans from all over the world inundated the Action/1D website and Twitter and Facebook pages with photos and videos that illustrated the world in which they wanted to live and how they could positively impact the future.
This is just a short list of One Direction’s charitable moments. They supported so many different causes, and I can’t even begin to think of how many events, meet-and-greets, etc. they also gifted behind-the-scenes, especially to fans with illnesses and disabilities.
The band has given so much; the world has not only been graced with their generous charitable works and donations but also their wonderful talents, personalities, and unmatched willingness to use their platform to empower.
I’ll say it again: One Direction made sure that we felt and knew that we mattered and we were loved, supported, and valued. They made us strong. Lives were touched; lives were changed; lives were saved.
I think Sir Winston Churchill said it best: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
SOURCES
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