McIlroy in Haiti

Professional golfer Rory McIlroy made his first official humanitarian trip as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador this week, visiting newly built schools, a maternal centre, and camps for displaced people in Haiti.

My first reaction to this story was: who is Rory McIlroy? My second reaction to this story was: why would Haitians care? If I have barely heard of the guy and I live in a country with things like the internet, television, and golf, then would Haitians have any idea who he was? Haiti has the lowest Human Development Index in North AND South America, so they probably are not a nation of golfing enthusiasts.

But then I read about McIlroy's visit some more and I realized that he is not going there for the rush Haitians might get from meeting a quasi-celebrity from a quasi-sport. He is going there to raise awareness that Haiti still sucks a year-and-half after the earthquake -- really it always sucked but it sucked even more after the earthquake -- and so this isn't like one of those NBA Cares situations where they send the players out to read Dr. Seuss books to school children. This is more like one of those Live Aid concerts famous artists will play to raise money and awareness for an issue, but it would be weird if UNICEF rented an arena for McIlroy to hit irons in front of a screaming crowd.

Nonetheless, the cost to put on a photo-op like this cannot be negligible: McIlroy (plus the photographer and the journalist that I assume accompany him) must be vaccinated against cholera and other diseases, flown in, bused around, housed and fed. But I trust UNICEF did the cost-benefit analysis and determined they will get more back in donations than they spent on the publicity.

What is sad about this is that it implies there is a sizable chunk of us -- me included -- that would not think to donate to the destitute in Haiti if a golfer had not gone there for two days. It's great that he is raising money for Haiti, but it seems silly that he had to go there to do it. What does it say about the rest of us that he has to put on a show because he can't just ask for money?

The danger is that normal people will see a rich person like McIlroy spend two days travelling around Haiti and conclude that that is sufficient. Humanitarian tourism is better than nothing, but the poor people receiving it would probably prefer secure, long-term aid from those already inside the country that can help them in their own language. And if McIlroy -- who has already made over 10 million dollars in his young career -- is doing his part by handing out some cholera medication, demonstrating hand-washing, and holding kids for the camera, then the equivalent for someone of average means is stopping for less than an hour on a cruise around the Caribbean to throw a couple rolls of toilet paper into the rubble before snapping a quick pic of a senior dying of diarrhea while they give a thumbs-up to the camera.

Now that Rory McIlroy is winning the US Open and his Haiti trip is getting more play, UNICEF's investment in sending him over there is looking very wise. It's great for fundraising purposes but it also highlights the last angle to McIlroy's trip to Haiti, i.e. that it is good for his own brand. There must be some value to him as a public figure who endorses products and receives appearance fees to wrap himself in the blue flag of the United Nations. Any goodwill he generates as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador flows to him as well. Was it a coincidence that McIlroy went on his first trip as a UN ambassador the week before the US Open?