In the lead-up to Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity on the National Mall in Washington, he is encouraging participants to make donations to support the restoration and maintenance of the landmark mall.
“We feel it’s important to preserve this historic site for future rallies,” says The Daily Show host’s website for the rally.
The Mall, which connects the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument and US Capitol, is the most visited national park in the US and is currently saddled with a $400 million backlog of deferred maintenance. The millions of visitors each year have severely compacted the soil making grass a challenge to grow, and left sidewalks and walkways in need of constant repair.
Stewart’s Comedy Central team writes, “We hope that, in the name of sanity and reasonableness, you … will actually pick up after yourselves. But really, mainly, it’s about preserving the historic site.”
Proceeds from sales of official Rally to Restore Sanity merchandise also will be donated to the Trust for the National Mall. The website is currently collecting donations at the National Trust website.
A cohort in political comedy and holding a dueling rally on the same day (March to Keep Fear Alive), Stephen Colbert has chosen a different charity to promote, asking his supporters to donate to “Donors Choose”, which raises money for school supplies.
The rally, featuring Jon, Stephen, and unannounced guests, will take place on October 30, from 12-3.
For more information visit: www.rallytorestoresanity.com/faq/