On Oct. 14, Mark Zuckerberg announced on Facebook that he donated $25 million to help fight Ebola. The reactions that ensued were largely focused on the large sum of money and thus what an incredible man Zuckerberg must be.

While the money undoubtedly helps and Zuckerberg is very respectable, we should be more focused on awareness than the actual sum of money. For example, instead of a discussion about the money, the commenters could have discussed the link that Zuckerberg posted on how Ebola spreads and why it is so deadly. Alas, this is the not type of reaction that typically occurs, rather, this usually happens: a celebrity donates large sums of money to a commonly-known cause such as cancer research, and the general public idolizes the celebrity and their money as the center of the philanthropic act rather than the cause, which should hold center stage.

The awareness given to causes is incredibly unbalanced, and while there is no way all causes in this world will ever be given equal awareness, we should at least try to balance the emphases given to different causes. Although it’s good that we’re constantly being reminded to donate money to and support widely-recognized causes such as breast cancer awareness, many people jump on the bandwagon and don’t rally for a cause that actually matters to them – the already-forgotten ALS ice bucket challenge is one example. I’m guilty of it myself: I did the ice bucket challenge for the sake of having something to post on a social media site, and donate a few dollars any time someone enthusiastically asks me to support cancer research. Cancer and ALS haven’t affected my family at all, but Alzheimer’s definitely does. Why doesn’t Alzheimer’s, which needs just as much attention as cancer, not as focused on than cancer? It may be because there are no heart-warming stories of people battling Alzheimer’s and surviving, and it may be because it’s mostly prevalent in the elderly, but watching someone you care about slowly fade away because of a degenerative brain disease is just as miserable as seeing someone you care about battle cancer. Yet, I have never spoken up or done anything to raise awareness. In fact, this is the first time I’ve ever even mentioned to anyone that Alzheimer’s affects my family.

There are probably thousands of worthy causes that very few are aware of.  This should not be the case; it’s important to raise awareness for causes that actually matter to us. If you’re passionate enough about something, the money will follow.

Yet, the typical student at CHS probably cannot donate the millions of dollars that celebrities typically do, or even the hundreds that perhaps our parents can, but rather than goggling at the magnanimity of respected individuals, we should focus on donating our time and effort. A Pew Research study from 2009 showed that teen volunteering is steadily rising, a trend that should continue. Time is just as valuable as money, and while you may think one person taking the effort to speak up about a cause they believe in is not as valuable someone famous donating another billion dollars, it is. Time, along with effort, can be extremely valuable. Even within the school, there are countless clubs that raise money for specific causes or offer volunteering opportunities.

There are many more ways to give than to give money: join a club, volunteer, commit to and spread awareness for a cause that matters to you.