Putrajaya Night Marathon Make That Change Reality Show: My Thoughts

Summary of Post
What I think of this whole Reality Show Contest thing. My personal struggle deciding which entry to vote for ('what, you don't vote yourself ah?'). A voting strategy that I feel comfy with now. And a pledge, if by some miracle I win, half goes to my friend with SLE, and half goes to Jiana's friend with DLBCL Stage 4 cancer. Be warned, a rambling blog with no pics!


Back in July

I was approached by Anand of Hooha.Asia to be in a video promoting the PNM Make That Change Reality Show.

I didn’t hesitate to say ‘Yes, I want to help’. I have wanted to run for SLE for ages (but was held back by my own illness), so this was a great chance to help raise awareness of this killer disease. The result: Make That Change Promo Video.

In the video, I was the friend who wanted to help another friend, who suffers from a lifelong autoimmune illness called SLE (Lupus). Viewers were asked to think of people in their own lives who needed financial help and to submit a 90 sec home video highlighting their ‘cause’. The five best submissions would be interviewed and re-taped. Then the official videos would be open to public for voting. A RM6000 cash prize would be awarded to the person/cause voted by the public as most needing the money (read more HERE).

This promo video, and also another sample video were publicised on Hooha.Asia, emailed to everyone who signed up for the PNM and etc. I thought there are 10,000 runners in the PNM, if 1% answered the call to ‘Make that Change’ that would mean 100 entries!

For whatever reason, by the Sep 3 deadline, only 2 vids were received, including my video. I suggested that Anand extend by another week, to give more time to people to submit. After the extension there were 4 entries total. Hm…. I think a post-mortem is needed to find out why response was so poor. Was it insufficient publicity, or people were intimidated by having to put out a 90 sec vid, or apathy (‘tidak apa’)?

Fast forward three months

The public is now voting enthusiastically for the four video entries each featuring a different cause, all noble ones.  (View Vids HERE)

Putrajaya Night Marathon 2011 Make a Change Promo Video Shoot $6000 Cash Prize

Just a quickie before I get back to work. Anand and Akmal of Hooha Asia interviewed me against the gorgeous backdrop of the Kepong Botanical Gardens during lunch just now. This was for a promo video that will be now up at the Hooha Asia website for the Putrajaya Night Marathon (PJNM). View promo video HERE.

In a nutshell, if you know someone who is in need, and for whom $6000 would make a difference in their life, and you are going run 10 km, 21 km or 42 km at the PJNM, you are eligible to participate in this 'reality' competition where you submit a 90 sec to 2 minute video that states who you are, why your friend should be given that $6000, and what change it will bring to their life. The public will vote on the best video and decide who gets the prize. 

I will be doing this for my bestie, who has to remain anonymous for now. I first met her when I was hospitalised at 24 years of age, for my own mystery illness. She was a patient too. My age. We hit it off. She has lupus (SLE) and I have a more rare autoimmune illness (Henoch Schonlein Purpura). For both, doctors don't know the causes. There is no known cure. In lupus, the body attacks itself, in some victims it is the skin, or kidneys, in others the joints, and for my friend, it is her skin, joints and her brain. Life expectancy ain't great. A few of my friends that I got to know while warded in hospital have already passed away. Too young to die....