By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

A few days ago, before his face appeared on Idol Gives Back, President Obama arrived in Los Angeles to help raise money for the re-election of Senator Barbara Boxer. An exclusive dinner was arranged, and the guests in attendance had to pay $17,600 dollars per dinner plate. Let me state the obvious: most in attendance were wealthy corporate types or celebrities of various branches. When given a second thought, it’s clear that sometimes in order to feel you have a voice in America you need wealth (or at least the luxury of spending $17,600 for dinner). The ironic twist is the event took place in LA, a city on the verge of bankruptcy, with 80,000 residents homeless and 12 percent of the city’s population without jobs.

I mention the Obama angle, because I think it’s a common factor in deciding whether or not to give. Trust me, I’ve been there, to that place inside that selfishly overlooks the truth, by feeling as if I have nothing to give in comparisons to those with celebrity style bank accounts (which, let’s face it, should be giving in the first place, with or without the positive attention of the camera). The truth is, you do not need $17,600 to truly leave your footprint in the dirt of the world. Even as little as $10 bucks a month can literally feed children on the brink of starvation and catastrophic diseases.

Idol winner Carrie Underwood performed the beautiful track Change during the two hour event. Underwood talked to reporters after the show about the importance of supporting charitable causes: “This is the stuff that really makes a difference,” she said. “We’re coming up on 10 seasons of American Idol. Twenty years later, people might not remember who won what, but this is the kind of stuff that can make lives better and people will remember that.”

The track from Underwood’s Play On album was written by Katrina Elam, Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins. “[The song] talks about how the smallest thing can make a huge difference, and it really fits with tonight’s concept,” Underwood told reporters. During her fall tour, 36 cents of every ticket sold will benefit Save the Children’s programs in the U.S. The amount parallels a reference to “36 cents” in the lyrics of the song.

You can listen to the track, below. You can also check out Keep A Child Alive (a program I personally advocate), by clicking here.

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