Interesting idea for charity.

[ForeverAutumn]

Go to www.sixdegrees.org and watch the video by Kevin Bacon.


On the Net: Kevin Bacon's new SixDegrees.org, a social networking site for charity

Tue Jan 23, 03:49 PM EST
By Jake Coyle

(AP) - Kevin Bacon has started SixDegrees.org, a social networking site for charity that trades on the famous game based on the actor's ubiquity.

The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon held that any actor could be connected through films to Bacon within six links. In a video on his site, Bacon says he was "horrified" when he first heard of the game and thought it was a joke at his own expense. (It sorta was.)

But now Bacon sees it as fitting into the "small world phenomenon," where everyone is connected. It's an idea that much of the Web 2.0 is built on - linking people with social networks like MySpace and Friendster.

Unfortunately, Bacon's site has little do with the Six Degrees game - which in some form, one figures, would make an excellent website. But it's hard to fault Bacon since his heart is in the right place. In less than a week, the site has raised more than US$67,000.

SixDegrees.org accepts donations toward the favourite charities of participating celebrities, among them Kanye West and Nicole Kidman.

Anyone can link to the "badges" of celebrities, or make their own badge to sponsor a favourite charity, illustrated with their own stories and photos. Bacon will match the top six non-celebrity fundraisers with grants of up to $10,000 each.

It's a little complicated, considering that the idea of SixDegrees.org is to make donating easier and, with the help of celebrities, fun. But it remains a smart, forward-thinking way of soliciting money for good causes.

[jt1stcav]

As long as the charities actually get the raised funds instead of lining celebrities' own pockets, then I'm all for it.