Charity Sports Card Event Raises $6,400 for Childhood Cancer Research
Many collectors have found buying and selling sports cards to be a great way to make some extra income. Ryan Wise has turned his passion into an opportunity to raise money for a cause he cares deeply about.
He shares, “I had a niece who had liver cancer when she was young, and kids don’t always get a lot of help out there. Alex’s Lemonade Stand does some things here locally and they are a great established organization to be involved with. There are other people out there with kids who have been impacted and this gives them a way to connect with what we are doing in a personal way.”
He ran the special auction event in his Wise Community Clubhouse marketplace on the district.net platform on September 25th and 26th which raised almost $6,400. In addition, he has made the commitment to donate 100% of the proceeds from all his sales in 2024 to the foundation. So far, that amounts to $7,500 going to help the cause.
“This is the second event like this I’ve done. When I got started last year I hoped to raise $1,000 and we blew that away. I started this site in June so there would be an opportunity to do this more consistently than just at a special event. I say the Wise Community Clubhouse is “a community with a cause” where collectors have the opportunity to give back.”
Athletes Provide Assistance for Wounded and Homeless Veterans
Signatures for Soldiers is another non-profit which uses sports cards to fund their efforts. When Tim Virgilio was inspired to help wounded and homeless veterans back in 2014, he hoped to raise a few hundred dollars to donate to some organizations which support our veterans. Over the last 10 years, the organization has far exceeded that goal. Almost $335,000 has been raised through the sale of sports cards, athlete and celebrity autographs, as well as direct donations.
Tim says, “This effort brings together two of my lifelong passions: collecting autographs and helping veterans. It brings both of those things together to help those in need. The support from athletes and the hobby community has been humbling.”
It was a pleasure to meet former Buccaneers DB & Super Bowl MVP @DJackson_MVP today. Thank you for supporting our efforts to help homeless & disabled veterans pic.twitter.com/KGO5BraqA5
— Signatures For Soldiers (@Sigs4Soldiers) September 15, 2024
These are just two examples of the hobby community demonstrating a heart of giving, but there are plenty more to go around.
The National Sports Collectors Convention chooses a lead charity partner each year. COMC.com supports a variety of endeavors though the sale of cards which are donated to their Charity account. Can Can is an organization in Southern Illinois which uses sports card and memorabilia sales to fund local social projects. And there are many more individuals and sellers who donate a portion of their sales directly to their charity of choice or give through eBay’s charitable giving program.
In a time where it can seem like we face a never ending stream of attempts create conflict, it's great to see a hobby community come together to make a difference.
It’s always a good time to do good.
Mike Sommer is a lifelong collector who has a passion for teaching others how to have a self-sustaining hobby. You can find more from him at WaxPackHero.com, Hobby News Daily, and on the WaxPackHero Sports Card Minute podcast.