On Saturday I joined some folks from my son's high school and participated in a 3 mile walk to raise money for the American Heart Association. I'd never done one of these before and I had a great time. I spent the walk with a local building contractor and learned quite a bit about his business and how things are going for him. One of the more interesting anecdotes was that during last year's rapid rise in steel prices, he watched bids become obsolete as he built. Costs for raw materials that he had used in his estimate rose by 20-30% in the process of construction so when it came time to buy them, he was eating his profits to make the purchases.
In any case, what surprised me the most was the amount of support personnel for the walk. There were juice stations, portable toilets, bands, loudspeakers and paramedics all over the place. All for a 3 mile walk! I walk 3 miles just dorking around Mission Bay on a lark. After seeing all of the emergency preparations, I wouldn't have been shocked to have found a fully operational field hospital at the bend of the first turn. It was ridiculous.
Just to be safe, I have one of these follow me every time I walk to the mailbox.What a load of sissies we've become! I suppose we have the trial lawyers to thank for this. I would much rather have had the Heart Association save the money for heart disease research than have them spend it on hovering Life Flight helicopters and a temporary morgue.
I've seen this at a lot of events. Its pretty common practice now. And I think you're right it has more to do with liability than with actual need.
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