Bursting with Charity (2021 Rewind Part 1)

As 2021 is coming to an end, it was another unusual year full of unique challenges and tremendous growth. Let’s take a journey down memory lane to celebrate and reflect upon this last year. In this 2-part series, we will be sharing some of our milestones, updates, and celebrations from this past year starting with our Bursty Charity Drive.

Every year, Burst SMS runs an annual charity drive, and this year we donated $10,000 to various charities and not-for-profit organisations across the globe. Our founders, Brad Down and Alex Macpherson, encouraged our team to choose a cause or community that is important to each of us.

Each employee was given an opportunity to select an organisation that was close to their hearts. The amount was split equally and donations were made on behalf of each employee.

We wanted to share and highlight some of the stories behind the charities our team chose. We hope to continue this charity drive annually and be able to give back to even more organisations and communities as we grow.

Youth Support and Development Organisations

19 employees donated to charities and organisations that focus on supporting youths across the world.

Antony and his wife had previously worked on Street Kids Direct’s Radio Christmas project, where they helped raise funds to rescue children in Central America. 100% of all donations are allocated towards their rescue initiative to help keep children in their mentoring program and to provide support for at-risk families all year round. Antony believes that this vulnerable community deserves more attention and believes that Street Kids Direct will continue to have a positive impact on at-risk children and children living on the streets.

Maria chose Starlight because her friend’s child was recently diagnosed with Leukemia. As a recent mother herself, Maria empathised with the cause as she thought of all the things that these young people miss out on during these difficult times. Watching her friend spend most of this past year in the hospital further motivated Maria into providing this young community support. Many children spend a big portion of their childhood waiting in hospitals to receive treatment. Maria loves that Starlight aims to bring smiles to their faces and help children through these tough times.

Animal Welfare Organisations

6 employees donated to organisations that focus on animal welfare such as rescue, rehoming, and protection programs.

Joel is known to be our resident cat dad, with two beautiful cats of his own who were also abandoned by their previous owners. He chose this charity because they take care of abandoned cats and provide a safe and loving space before finding them a new home. Joel also received a personal thank you card from the Cat Protection Organisation showing one of the beautiful kittens they have saved.

Cancer Research

6 employees donated to local cancer research and support programs. With cancer being one of leading causes of death worldwide, each donation takes us one step further towards saving more lives.

Mark chose Rethink because a close friend of Mark lost their mother to breast cancer at a young age. Breast cancer is not something that most young women are concerned with even though it can strike at any age. Due to his own experiences, Mark feels that breast cancer needs a lot more public advocacy within the community, especially with young women.

Mimi chose to donate towards House of Hope as she personally had people in her life affected by cancer. Realizing that privilege also plays an important factor in our health and well-being, Mimi also chose to support the Philippine Society for Orphan Disorders. Knowledge of medical procedures and financial support are major factors when tackling rare or complicated diseases. After losing someone in her life to cancer and feeling like there was nothing she could do, she felt she was given a chance to assist this community. Mimi especially wants children fighting against cancer to know that there are people out there who care and are thinking of them on their difficult journey.

Causes Close to Our Hearts

There were so many other amazing charities that we were able to contribute to including organisations for Suicide prevention, Commando trust, Rainforest protection, the LGBTQIA+ community, and charities that support diseases such as Dementia, Alzheimers, Parkinsons and Huntington’s Disease to name a few.

No donation was more important than the other. All the charities and communities that we were able to support are making a difference to make this world a better place.

Here at Burst SMS, we’re not only proud of our team for their contributions to the company, but applaud everyone for their gracious attitude towards causes that they care about. We encourage diversity and provide our team with the ability to support a cause with meaning to them.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our 2021 Rewind Series as we review some of our big company updates, accomplishments and celebrations with our team.