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Dolphin in Brazil helping with fishing illustration

Dolphins and fishermen working together

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Gray whale (eschrichtius robustus) Gray whale in Ojo de liebre lagoon Baja California.

Why we’re walking for whales to save the world

We've got enormous ambitions when it comes to fighting climate breakdown, and so two members...
Dolphins with keepers in the new Windsor Safari Park. Image: PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo

Three decades on from UK’s last dolphin show, what needs to change?

The UK hasn't had captive whales and dolphins on display for 30 years, but it's...
Fishers' involvement is crucial. Image: WDC/JTF

When porpoises and people overlap

We're funding a project in Hong Kong that's working with fishing communities to help save...
Whale evolution cover

How did whales end up living in the ocean?

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Fishers chatting

Scottish fishers working with us to reduce risks to whales

Small changes to fishing gear could make a big difference to whales around Scotland, and...

Mindful conservation – why we need a new respect for nature

'We should look at whales and dolphins as the indigenous people of the seas -...
tins of whale meat

How Japan’s whaling industry is trying to convince people to eat whales

Japan's hunters kill hundreds of whales every year despite the fact that hardly anyone in...

Giving Tuesday: A Day for Giving Back in the Midst of Holiday Deals

We have our days for getting deals, now it’s time for a day of giving back.

It’s estimated that a third of American adults participate in Black Friday, a yearly national wide bargain bonanza that occurs the Friday following Thanksgiving. In 2011 Americans spent $52 billion on Black Friday and that number is on the rise. While this event is amazing for the economy as well as the consumer’s average spending ticket, I think it’s indicative that we continue to lose sight of what really matters during the holiday season.

This year, things are getting even more out of hand; retailers such as Walmart and Target will be opening on Thanksgiving evening so shoppers can get a jump start on sales. Thanksgiving is meant to be spent with family and friends, and to give thanks for what we have in our lives. I don’t believe we should be shopping during the holiday, and I don’t believe that employers of these companies should have to work. Apparently I’m not alone in feeling that the holidays are about more than buying as many presents as possible because there is a new movement developing in the US to bring our focus back to what is important.

Giving Tuesday is the charitable sector’s answer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s a campaign to create a national day of giving to start the annual holiday season, and it encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations. This day was created by New York’s 92nd Street Y partnered with The United Nations Foundations in 2012, and in its second year, I believe this can become an amazing day for giving back to your favorite charity. As a WDC intern I hope that’s us!

I’m asking anyone who can spare it, to donate a little of the money that you’ve saved over the course of Black Friday and Cyber Monday to WDC. With your donation you can help WDC end captivity for whales and dolphins, put a stop to whaling, end cruel dolphin hunts, limit boat traffic collision with cetaceans, and so much more. Please visit our WDC website on December 3, 2013 to support the work WDC is doing around the world. I’d like to thank any and all in advance who can donate to WDC during Giving Tuesday. With your help we can create a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free.

About George Berry

George is a member of WDC's Communications team and website coordinator.