There is a lot to say about the power that resides with the written word. Oftentimes it can be the saving grace for many people who feel like they have nowhere else to turn to find a sense of inspiration and purpose – for Scott Hughes, the notion of making a change has sparked a yearly tradition that is catching on.
Scott Hughes is the President and Founder of OnlineBookClub.org – a free community site of avid readers and passionate wordsmiths from around the globe who come together to celebrate the intrinsic beauty of a freshly read story.
The community has a long history of rising up to the occasion when the right cause comes around with Scott Hughes himself being the instigator of many campaigns of awareness for a great number of laudable causes.
The Great Sleepout
Scott Hughes has taken part in the Sleepout.Org fundraiser and has collated a strong following and donation support from the various worldwide members of the Online Book Club and beyond – all for a great cause.
The concept of the sleepout is simple enough, participants elect to sleep in their backyards for one night with no sleeping bag or pleasantries, the age-old truism of walking in another person’s shoes to gain a more fundamental understanding.
For Scott Hughes, the night in question was certainly one to remember – being based in Connecticut in the bristling November weather without protection is certainly not an enviable position to find yourself in. With the predicted temperatures of around 37 degrees Fahrenheit in the evening, it was a lesson learned with each passing hour – a stark reminder of the 2,500,000 children who find themselves in similar positions each year in the USA alone.
A Communal Effort
While the experience itself was a valuable one for Scott Hughes, the resulting outpouring of support and love from members of his community was inspiring to say the least. Notes were cascading with each donation with a small snippet of the true cohesiveness of his tight knit Online Book Club.
Scott managed to smash his intended donation goal, relegating the blisteringly cold night an overwhelming success. We can’t wait to see what next year brings.
You can follow Scott Hughes at his Facebook page or on Instagram at @scott_hughes.
