Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon (for Good)

As you may know, the 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon' game was created to link any Hollywood actor or actress (living or dead) to Kevin Bacon in six degrees or less.

For example, through the Oracle of Bacon site, Kevin Bacon is tied to silent movie start Rudolph Valentino in only three degrees. In 1922, Rudolph Valentino starred in the silent movie "Beyond the Rocks" with Gertrude Astor. Astor acted in "Daddy Long Legs" in 1955 alongside James Cromwell. Cromwell worked with Kevin Bacon in 2009 on "Beyond All Boundaries." That means Valentino has a 'Bacon Number' of 3.

The game lives on as a shorthand for the small-world phenomenon.

What you may not know about 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon' is how the idea can be tied to charitable fundraising.

The History of SixDegrees.org

Several years after the 6 Degrees game made the rounds on college campuses, Kevin Bacon opened his refrigerator to see Paul Newman's face staring back at him. The Newman's Own tomato-sauce label gave Kevin the idea that he could also use his celebrity stature to make a difference. When thinking about how he could do this, he realized the game 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon' could be a perfect fit (somehow the Footloose Foundation just didn't seem right). 

Through his own six degrees of personal connections, Kevin was introduced to Network for Good in 2007.  Together, they created the charitable giving website, SixDegrees.org. Through this site, anyone can become a celebrity for their cause by creating or donating to a social fundraising page. The small-world phenomenon is at work here--via the power of social networks, anyone can be connected to your SixDegrees.org page in 6 degrees or less. SixDegrees.org is social networking with a social conscience. 

SixDegrees.org Today

The charitable giving site enables cause through:

• Good Cards^® - charitable gift cards
• Personal fundraising pages
• Donations to your favorite charity
• Cause campaigns with partners

Now you can find YOUR 'Bacon Number' through SixDegrees.org!

To read a message from Kevin, check out the SixDegrees.org About page.

Image credit: National Conference on Volunteering and Service 2012