I'm sure we've all seen examples of this practice involving charitable donations.
A person makes a donation, and not even necessarily a large one, to a charity, say a cancer one for our purposes. Then in exchange for his contribution, he now has the option of getting his name (or his name along with that of a spouse or loved ones), engraved on a brick. That brick is then enlayed permanently into a memorial sidewalk somewhere, to recognize the contribution he has made.
For example, such a brick message might read:
This brick was donated on behalf of the No More Cancer Fund by John and Mary Smith, May 29, 2023. So then there's a sidewalk somewhere, composed of a myriad of such bricks, each with the name(s), and perhaps even a short message, commemorating the generosity of the donor(s).
For example, a sidewalk:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailv2&ccid=gt5mqe0a&id=9ba3f671c3c7aad1b5d164cd1ee654c94eb3fbfe&thid=oip.gt5mqe0ae3txpya0y4fkdghafi&mediaurl=https%3a%2F%2Fbuffsgarden.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F04%2Fbuff-news.jpg&cdnurl=https%3a%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2Fr.193e6641ed007b74f13f20346387e476%3frik%3D%252fvuztslu5h7nza%26pid%3Dimgraw%26r%3D0&exph=599&expw=800&q=cancer+center+florida+memorial+bricks&simid=608048901535694991&form=irprst&ck=12943f057f17d5c7afcd39eabf4b63f0&selectedindex=0&idpp=overlayview&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0And for contributors with deeper pockets, a similar practice exists, but on a much larger scale. For example, for a large enough donation, not sidewalk bricks, but names of major university divisions, schools of medicine, scholarship trusts, and the like, can include the name of a generous donor.
Examples of this latter, more grandiose practice, in education, medicine, etc., are legion. Some real-life cases:
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Moffitt Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
named at least in part for people who wrote large checks to said institutions.
I suppose it all depends on the individual as to whether he or she is interested in pursuing something like this, this kind of name recognition, and whether his or her motivation is truly altruistic or for other reasons.
And whether we're talking university medical center or brick. (Probably brick for most of us here, I would imagine).
But what practical reasons might motivate a person to see to getting a "named" brick for oneself, or for a loved one, in a sidewalk?
Some reasons offered by various websites:
o Permanency. Obviously, a brick in a sidewalk should last for a very long time. It's possible that people living a century from now may stroll down the sidewalk and read one's brick.
o Highly personalized. Includes the names of one's choice, along with a personalized message, if one chooses.
o Easily accessible and readable. Just go find the sidewalk.
o Being used to so much Internet short-messaging, people can relate to that on a brick.
o Such bricks are usually reasonably priced. (Pricing is usually separate from the charitable contribution).
A how-to-go-about
-doing-it article:
https://thefundraisingauthority.com/fundraising-ideas/brick-fundraising/There are even websites offering samples of the kinds of messages one might request to have inscribed on such a brick.
Example:
"What to Write on a Donation Brick":
https://smoothmessage.com/what-to-write-on-a-donation-brick/#:~:text=what%20to%20write%20on%20a%20donation%20brick%201,lovely%20children%2c%20theo%20and%20adele.%20...%20more%20itemsThe web even provides access to companies that specialize in preparing such bricks:
Example of one:
https://polarengraving.com/brick-fundraiser-campaigns/Personally, I don't think I would be all that interested in getting a memorial sidewalk brick somewhere myself, with my name on it, but I would respect the choice of others who wanted to do so, if they felt it was a worthwhile thing for them to do, for themselves or for their loved ones.
In that regard, feel free to make a choice in the above survey, and let's see if there is any group consensus on whether memorial sidewalk bricks have a general appeal or not.
Again, a personal choice, but for some a heartfelt, and likely very permanent, way of making a statement about
a cancer charity gift, or perhaps honoring loved ones and keeping their memory alive.