This has to be one of the saddest examples of human judgment that I have witnessed in recent months. A well intentioned grandmother, trying to do the right thing and donate useful items for the drive, decided she may be able to help promote the clothing drive, and placed a call to her local news station about her participation. What she had hoped would result in an outpouring of sympathy for those children in need, turned into a backlash of hatred, and businesses withdrawing from participation in the clothing drive left and right.
Now, any one of us can go to our kids or grand-kids room, pick out clothes they are no longer using, box them up and donate them to a charity of our choice, no questions asked. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the grandmother of a child who died tragically, who wanted at least one good thing to come from past horrible events. I am referring to the out of control controversy surrounding the donation of “Caylee’s shoes” to charity.
People are outraged that Cindy Anthony, grandmother to the murdered toddler, Caylee Anthony, is donating the child’s shoes to those less fortunate! Now, just what do they expect to have happen to this precious little girl’s shoes? Have them kept on a pedestal? Enshrined in a museum? Put up for the highest bidder on Ebay? Ridiculous!
Wouldn’t it be better to know that her shoes are on the feet of some small child, who hopefully will out grow them, and pass them on to another little girl, and so on, until eventually, the shoes are completely worn out? I think of how many barefoot children I see daily here in Honduras, and how it would light up their world to receive a pair of shoes just their size! Maybe that child could then walk a little further, participate in an event they wouldn’t have been able to before, or at least be protected from stepping on any number of harmful items as they make their way to school.
I sincerely hope that those who have protested this event, take a good look at themselves, and see that they have made an extreme error in judgment – that they put aside their misguided anger, and help to correct a situation that never should have gotten so out of hand. Am I alone on this thought? Someone please enlighten me as to what good can come from boycotting this clothing drive…?
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The above article is in reference to the following story from CBS News:
Cindy Anthony, the maternal grandmother of Caylee Anthony whose 2008 disappearance and subsequent murder made national headlines, has stirred up a hornet’s nest by offering to donate Caylee’s clothes to charity.
Now the charity in question is denying any connection at all to the Anthony family.
Cindy Anthony, whose daughter Casey is currently awaiting trial for Caylee’s murder, sent an email Tuesday to CBS affiliate WKMG announcing her intention to donate Caylee’s shoes to the Children of Love Foundation.
But the charity, which benefits orphans in Honduras and central Florida, says they never asked for her help.
Doris Patalano, the founder of Children of Love, says that she had no idea of Cindy Anthony’s intentions until she began being bombarded with “hateful,” threatening phone calls from protesters Wednesday morning, according to WKMG.
Patalano says she wants the public to understand her organization has no association with the Anthony family and that she never sought publicity from Cindy Anthony.
Patalano, who herself is an orphan, started the charity nearly 20 years ago to provide orphans in Honduras and central Florida with food, clothing and mentoring, but says she now fears that not only has this controversy endangered her charity as well as her livelihood.
That’s because Patalano had been passing out fliers to her customers at the pharmacy where she has worked for 20 years, including to Cindy Anthony, a long-time customer. Patalano says she had planned to hold the shoe drive at the same pharmacy and that other pharmacies were going to do the same thing.
But now, because of the backlash, the other pharmacies have pulled out, Patalano told the station.
Cindy Anthony responded to the controversy in an e-mail to WKMG saying, “Hopefully everyone will be respectful to what this event is all about. It’s not about my family. It’s about doing a good thing for others. My goal is to help this foundation collect shoes for the orphans in Honduras. Unfortunately, the media would not have normally covered this event had it not been for my involvement.”
Cindy Anthony’s daughter Casey Anthony has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and has claimed a baby sitter kidnapped her daughter, Caylee. The toddler’s remains were found about six months after the mother said she last saw her alive.
Her trial is set to begin in May 2011.
5 Responses to "EDITORIAL: Charity Organization Bombarded by Uncharitable People"
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Someone that is sincere about donating to a worthy cause does not call up media to tell them “they are donating a pair of shoes”.
cindy also said, ” Unfortunately, the media would not have normally covered this event had it not been for *my* involvement” as if she was some kind of queen! That is when cindy made it “all about her”, as she usually does.
Keep in mind that cindy does NOT like Hispanics, so if you think she was being kind, think again!
And why not donate ALL Caylee’s shoes & clothing to a worthy cause?
There are THOUSANDS of wealthy & not so wealthy people that donate to worthy causes and many of them do so ANONYMOUSLY, they do not call the media to say “Hey, look what I am doing!”
If cindy really wanted to call attention to the shoe drive charity, why didn’t she just call up the media, ANONYMOUSLY, and tell them where they were? NO, cindy had to say “look at me, I am donating A pair of shoes that belonged to Caylee…..we are celebrities…..these shoes are important!”
What makes this case so sad is that Caylee’s own grandmother, grandfather, & uncle have been covering up & lying for casey, who is accused of killing Caylee rather than telling the truth.
Quite frankly, Caylee is not more special than any other child who has met with the same fate, she just has NO family members standing in her corner wanting to prosecute the person who killed her. Instead, they are helping that person and making money off Caylee. Already her accused killer has made over $200,000 off her victim to pay for her defense! The grandparents have also cashed in on Caylee. What a shame!
That said, perhaps this drive will do well in spite of cindy’s media-seeking attention. This woman just cannot stay away from the camera. Its all about HER!
I am fully aware of the entire Caylee saga (how could one not be, with Nancy Grace around?) and the numerous facts/allegations of the case. My point was that the businesses (pharmacies) should not have pulled out of supporting the charity as they originally said they would, due to the controversy. Additionally, when people make a big fuss about the Anthony’s involvement, aren’t they only contributing to what you believe the Anthony’s are seeking … attention? Two wrongs don’t make a right, and the children of this great charity should not be the ones that miss out.
And unfortunately, you claimed “not one person” would not donate to the charity because of the Anthony’s involvement, but that is exactly what is happening…
“The charity’s founder, Doris Patalano, “was in tears over this today,” WFTV’s Kathi Belich reported. “She wouldn’t talk to us on camera.”
Callers are threatening to protest the charity’s shoe drive this weekend, Belich reported.
From CBS News Story.
Now how much media attention would I have gotten if had called and said I would be donating 10 pairs of shoes in honor of my great grandchildren (ages 15yrs to 6 mos) and not one of them had been murdered by an accused relative? Just asking. Just easier to just hand over the shoes and feel good about it and get friends and relatives to do the same. Caylee was found with no shoes. Keep up the good work.
Sorry but I disagree with you. If Cindy Anthony was a well intentioned grandma who wanted to donate her granddaughters shoes, then she would have not notified the media, she would have done it quietly and helped the charity without mentioning it to the media. She knew using Caylees name would garner attention, because she’s been doing it since the little girl was murdered. Many people who have missing children have turned the Anthonys away because of the controversy they bring with them. They lie, they have obstructed justice, cleaned up evidence in their daughters car. They do not work and live off the blood of their granddaughter by selling her pictures to every meida outlet they can. These people are repulsive and will bring it along with them wherever they go. So if you don’t want a mess on your hands stay clear of the Anthonys. Anyone who gets involved with them gets thrown under the bus by them and they don’t even think twice about it.
I’d FIRST like to say what a fantastic organization this is with a wonderful mission….THAT being said….
Perhaps the Honduran readers would be better served if you researched the “issue” a bit more before electing Cindy Anthony for sainthood!!
We are NOT talking about a “Mother Theresa” here. Cindy Anthony has brought innocent people into this circus of a murder trial….attacking them and blaming them for wrongs they have NEVER done. This family SOLD their grand daughters pictures…Caylee’s pictures and video’s…. to national television for $200,000…and MORE!! The money went to the defense of Cindy’s daughter, Casey, accused of her own childs murder….Caylee’s murder.
Human decomposition was identified in Casey Anthony’s trunk….she didn’t report her daughter missing for 31 days….she made up lie after lie ruining anyone and anything who had the misfortune of ever meeting her….attacking innocent people…accusing them…..ALONG WITH HER MOTHER CINDY ANTHONY!!!!
Cindy has blamed EVERYONE for Caylee’s murder…proclaiming Casey’s innocence…yet NEVER continued to look for the “real murderer”….NEVER pleading on national television for the “real murderer” to come forward and “do the right thing for darling Caylee”….NEVER ONCE !!!!!
Cindy has all but forgotten who it IS that the overwhelming evidence is pointing to….her OWN daughter AND little Caylee’s mother….accused of murdering this precious baby girl!!
Cindy Anthony DID NOT contact the news media out of the “goodness of her heart”….she did it because she is a media whore….unless you haven’t noticed, they were just on national television morning shows to talk about themselves and how their daughter, Casey, is a “VICTIM” in all this, too!!!!!!!! VICTIM?????
She doesn’t care about Caylee…she doesn’t care about this foundation…..she cares about HERSELF and how she can get herself back in the media.
The problem, you see, is NOT “uncharitable” people….NOBODY said a word about the organization OR it’s mission. And…NOOOOOO, Caylee’s shoes should NOT be enshrined , etc as you lament. A woman who belittles and blames anyone or anything that gets in her way, contacts a media source to say “SHE is donating Caylee’s shoes”…..the childs shoes who’s MOTHER, Cindy’s “Mother of the Year” DAUGHTER, is accused of MURDERING!!!!!
NOT ONE PERSON is holding a negative thought towards this organization…I WILL be donating all I can….many others like me will do the same.
Cindy Anthony made a BIG media stink about her donating a MURDERED CHILDS SHOES!!!!
Maybe you’re not comprehending just what that ‘s saying….maybe she could have contacted the media and announced what a great opportunity this was for EVERYONE to help those less fortunate….just MAYBE, say she was donating some NEW shoes IN CAYLEE’S NAME????!!!!
Sorry….research your stories further…things aren’t as “cut and dry” as you seem to think they are….maybe look past this noble picture of Cindy Anthony that you paint….maybe look at the pictures of her weilding a hammer…maybe listen to her say the smell in her daughters trunk was “rotting pizza”…..as opposed to the scent of her decomposing grand daughter – you know the one…..the murdered beautiful baby girl Caylee who’s “shoes” will be on another childs feet….the feet that SHOULD be walking in them are Cindy Anthony’s HERSELF !!! Maybe SHE should have been walking in Caylee’s shoes the day Casey, her daughter, killed her own flesh and blood!!! Then maybe that little angel could have been saved….