Over 130 people were killed in this morning’s Easter bombings. In response, Binko launched a fund to provide disaster relief and help the community re-build after the tragedy.
“This morning, I woke up, I went on Facebook, and I was expecting just to post a "Happy Easter" status. Instead, what I saw was a series of really gruesome photos - and it just shook me to the core.”
After discovering a fan of his (Romanova Madushanka Chamara) was a member of one of the churches attacked (St. Sebastian's Church), Binko pledged to visit Sri Lanka and personally deliver contributions if the funding goal of $500,000 USD is reached.
Discussing the power of social media to “do good” and expressing hesitation over donating to large charities like The Red Cross, a key promise of his campaign is to provide transparency of how the resources are spent by documenting the experience on video.
“I want to video the experience, not only to memorialize it, but to give voice to their stories. These people’s lives have been altered significantly. I also want to share with you guys the reward of how a little bit can go a long way, so you can see the difference that you’re making in these people’s lives.”
Referencing how Notre Dame raised nearly $1Billion less than a week after catching fire, Binko reminds fans that the cathedral had no casualties or injuries and reiterates the urgency of helping the families impacted by this tragedy.
“Lets pull together guys, because at the end of the day, we’re all just trying to make it in this crazy world - and the one thing we share in common is our humanity. Let’s not lose sight of that.”
Please donate to his GoFundMe HERE.
UPDATE FROM BINKO 4/29/19:
As of April 29th, I have decided to cancel this campaign. Any pending donations will automatically be refunded to the respective donors. Due to the significant value we were aiming for, I was working closely with Dave from the Trust & Safety Team at GoFundMe. We mutually agreed it was important to have a reliable church contact to transfer the funds who would then work with me to personally and fairly distribute to the families impacted. That being said, I didn’t feel comfortable ending the campaign without having sufficient funds to fulfill my promises in their entirety or blindly sending your money without proof of where it was going. After deeper reflection, it also felt inappropriate to create a project from a source of tragedy. On a personal level, I believe this would have been a profound learning experience... but after declining a news interview, I did not want the narrative to be about my efforts - these are real people going through unimaginable loss and I should have launched it anonymously from the start to keep the focus that way. Still, I believe wholeheartedly this is a cause that needs support from as many people as possible and I encourage you to continue raising awareness and doing your part to help these families piece their lives back together. There is now an abundance of other campaigns on GoFundMe that are working with reputable sources around the world (including law enforcement) to ensure your money goes directly to the intended parties. I’m sorry if I let anyone down by not seeing this to completion, but this is a sensitive situation that needs to be healed through and navigated mindfully.
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