Guilt Trip Begins on Beach Boulevard

I was driving Beach Boulevard on Thursday afternoon when a radio ad came on, offering breast augmentation for $2,900. A tummy tuck would run you $4,200.

I’m not in the market for either one, but I have been nosing around the electronics stores lately after getting the notion that my 27-inch TV just isn’t big enough or advanced enough. Upgrading would put me in the $2,500 ballpark. Mind you, the TV I now have functions perfectly and cost something over $400.

Augmentations. Tucks. New TVs.

Perfectly acceptable ways to spend discretionary income, but, say, did you hear about the tsunami in South Asia that killed more than 150,000 people?

That question caused an uncomfortable drive back to the office. How could I remotely justify plunking down two grand for a TV when hundreds of thousands of people are homeless, orphaned or both? Why not just donate the $2,000 to the American Red Cross?

Do both? Why? Even if I had given to the Red Cross, why not take whatever money I was planning for a frill and donate that, too?

In short, how about a little sacrificing, pal?

I haven’t given anything to the Red Cross -- and I don’t have a good answer why. At least, not an answer I want to see in print.

But rather than ask myself unpleasant questions, I called the Red Cross in Orange County to find out if they cringe when they know people are spending for tummy tucks instead of their fellow man.

Lynn Howes runs the fundraising department and sees everything from little kids draining piggybanks to senior citizens writing big checks.

Yes, she said, disasters produce results. So far, Orange County donors have given about $1 million for tsunami relief since Christmas -- far ahead of their normal pace for annual giving.

“There are so many people giving now that haven’t given before,” she said. “Will they ever give again? A large percentage will not again unless there’s another large disaster like that. They made a choice for whatever reason that now they’re going to give $20 or $100 or $500 or $1,000, but how come next year we don’t get that money ... ? Maybe next year, they buy the big-screen TV.”

Ouch, but it was my own fault. I told Howes of my guilt. I asked if it irritates her that people who can give do not.

“It’s human nature,” she said. “I can’t let it bother me.” She takes heart in noting that 33 Orange County high schools have Red Cross clubs, with the idea being to start early in telling people that giving is necessary and good.

The Red Cross has collected $200 million nationally for tsunami relief, Howes said. A huge number, but 20% of what came in after 9/11 -- the single largest outpouring in U.S. history.

Fundraisers know that most people won’t give unless asked. Thus, there is an art to asking for money in the right way. If a nonprofit knows how to do it, Howes said, it might pry money that was meant for more pleasurable pursuits.

Still, for all those who don’t give or who give for less than altruistic reasons, there’s our better half.

“We were at Knott’s doing fundraising,” Howes said. “It was pouring rain all day and we collected $50,000 in the rain. People got in their cars and drove to Knott’s to hand us a check. Why? You could give online, you could mail in a check, but yet enough people felt the need to get in their car and drive down and physically hand us a check.”

Naturally, that made me feel even worse -- although I swear I didn’t know about the Knott’s opportunity.

Howes could tell where all this was heading.

“Do you want me to tell you it’s OK to spend $2,500 on a big-screen TV instead of giving to us?” she said. “I can’t do that.”

Dana Parsons can be reached at (714) 966-7821 or at dana.parsons@latimes.com. An archive of his recent columns is at www.latimes.com/parsons.