New Zealanders are going to be celebrating birthdays a little bit differently for at least the next four weeks … and The Good Registry has our first our ‘Lockdown birthday’ with a social distance party charitable registry!
Polly Johnson is celebrating her birthday tomorrow — and obviously it’s going to be a little bit different …
Normally Polly would have taken the day off work, taken herself to the cinema in the afternoon, and hung out with friends to eat food and watch movies in the evening.
So she’s doing that anyway — just a little bit differently!
Polly has invited friends and family to a virtual party — to get dressed up, hang out together online, cook and share delicious dinners in their own homes, then tune in to a movie together on Netflix.
“It doesn’t really feel like a particular hardship or let down — It’s just reframing a cool way to be with friends.”
It might even be better — Polly and wife Alex can invite as many people as they like, family can come from out of town, there will be room for everyone, and they won’t have to clean up or do the dishes!
And instead of gifts, Polly has created a charitable registry to fundraise for Lifeline.
“It’s natural for people to want to give you things but I don’t want or need anything, and it’s impossible right now anyway, so this seemed like a way people could still give me something if they wanted to.
“I also wondered if it was the right time to be asking people for money but I just decided to throw the option out there — and it would mean a whole lot for me if that’s how people decided to use even the money they would have spent on petrol.”
“I really wanted to choose a charity that would be impacted at the moment so I chose Lifeline because I imagine there is going to be a significant uptake in their services over the next wee while, and it is also a good reminder to people that Lifeline is there if they need it as well.”
Polly said she would have been stoked to raise $100 — but her registry has already raised almost four times that. (With just the funds raised so far, Lifeline will be able to provide their phone counselling services to another 15 people)
“On top of that I’ve had all the nice feedback, and people saying ‘thank you for the opportunity to do this.’ .. That’s just the sort of warm fuzzy buzz you want on your birthday, right!.”
If you’re going to be celebrating a birthday during lockdown and you’d like to solve the problem of gifts and help Lifeline or another favourite cause too, you can also create a charitable registry on our website here. It’s all done online so lockdown can’t spoil the party :)
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