There’s just so many of them. Red nose day, yellow daffodil week, library lovers' month, find a lost daughter quarter…
Everywhere you turn, almost ever fortnight there’s some kind of wacky, zany charity event. They blur into each other. I’ve just switched off. That is until Dry July came along.
Here’s something I can believe in. Something for people aged between 20 and 40, especially single ones like me, who seem to drink their own body weight in turps on a weekly basis.
Have you ever actually written down how many drinks you have a week? Try it. It’s scary.
I live in a five-bedroom share-house so every night there’s booze on offer – someone’s opened a bottle of wine or grabbed a six-pack. And if you’re on the meat market, you’ll know you can’t go on a date or whatever without getting at least a bit sauced.
And on Friday’s there’s always free drinks at work. And of a Saturday there’s parties and on Sundays - barbeques.
I think, like most people, I end up drinking every day. Even though I know from being a designated driver you can have just as much fun without getting munted.
Anyway, forget jump rope for heart, Mo-vember or the 40 Hour Famine. It’s Dry July all the way.
It’s free – all you have to do is sign up at the website www.dryjuly.org
If you want you can get people to sponsor you and all that jazz. And if you positively need to have a glass or two one night because it’s your birthday you can get a “Golden Ticket” – which allows you the night off. The only catch is it costs $25.
And all the funds raised goes to granting wishes to cancer patients at the Prince of Wales Hospital.
If you can make the month without boozing there’s a party on at a secret location in Sydney to break the drought.
I’ll be there – thinner of waist, sharper of mind and hopefully fatter of wallet. Where’s the victory party on the 1st of August? Well, you’ll have to sign up to find out. See you there!