Why I want to be an Office Hottie

Online popularity contests are rarely valuable. People cast empty votes with the hopes of seeing a friend or cohort emerge with a faux victory. Contestants plead for votes like a candidate in Florida on election day. Nobody really wins, except the company collecting the registration information for its database. But this one’s different.

I’m not talking about the South by Southwest panel picker here. This time, I want you to help me be an Office Hottie. But in this contest, there could be a winner. Well, three actually.

So, why am I doing this? Well, at first it was a lark. A way to amuse myself by putting a ridiculous photo of myself in amongst the Affliction-clad, Axe-wearing bros and the spray-tanned, attention-needing girls.

But then I made it through to the third round, thanks wholly to friends and family on Twitter and Facebook. And I realized I could do some good here. So, here’s my pledge:

If I win, 100% of the prize will go the following charities:

• Jolkona Foundation. This is a pro-bono account for the agency I work for, but it’s also a great organization doing very innovative work to enable a culture of giving.
• Domestic Abuse Women’s Network. DAWN supports families that have been the victims of domestic abuse and is a local non-profit that I’ve supported in the past. It does good work here in my local community.
• A charity that is important to YOU! See, you’ve all helped this happen, so I want to give everybody a voice on where the money goes. Post a comment with a non-profit and a short reason why the remaining funds should go to it.

Now, go help me be an Office Hottie!