Remember this, ARMY?
Almost a year ago BTS gave one of the most emotional acceptance speeches of their career after being named Artist of the Year at the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards.
BTS image from allkpop
Here are a few snippets:
J-Hope: I wanted to repay [ARMY] because we worked so hard and received so much love from you guys.
Jimin: We want to thank you guys for always giving us encouragement.
V: ARMY is the most precious gift among all gifts. I will never be able to get any gift like ARMY even if I were to be reborn.
SUGA: ARMYs who are always watching us, I will consider this an award by you and will work hard.
Jin: To the ARMYs who are always loving us, thank you so much.
Contributions of Consequence
Just as BTS members continually express their thanks and appreciation to ARMY through their music and performances, ARMY too are known to be generous in their giving. ARMYs worldwide make many contributions of generosity, love, and servitude as a way to celebrate BTS - “the gift that keeps on giving” serves as a tribute to the group that has given them so much. Whether it’s raising funds or raising public awareness, paying it forward or giving back, BTS’ impact and influence has shown the world what can happen when you “believe in love, believe in hope”.
Some endeavors, like UNICEF and BTS’ joint LOVE MYSELF campaign, are constantly in the public spotlight, while others might only be shared in small groups. Yet all are making inroads into making the world a better place through hope, love, kindness, and music, revealing that ARMYs are just as committed to the notion of “Music & Artist for Healing” as BTS and Big Hit Entertainment.
Recently though a rather unexpected (and very public) “giving back” event took place in Seoul at Korea’s largest K-Pop flea market. Blank.K set up an unmanned BTS merch stand with a sign saying that all proceeds raised were going to be donated to the Korea Paediatric Cancer Foundation. In support of this cause, official BTS goods to the value of ₩340,500 (approx. $290 USD) were donated by K-ARMYs.
With only price tags, a donation box, a sign saying ‘무인 판매대’ (unmanned sales stand), and a few strategically placed hidden cameras, the “store” was officially opened. Within an hour everything had sold out. The final result? ARMYs exceeded all expectations!
From this experience, we can see that when given the opportunity to support worthy causes that align with or resonate with BTS, ARMYs are happy to go the extra mile. For ARMY, relatability and sincerity are key, especially when we know that what we say and do as ARMY reflects on BTS.
‘Honesty boxes’ may seem like an outdated practice in today’s society, but these ARMYs have shown us that the values and principles we live by are reflected in our words, thoughts, and actions. To a large extent the act of giving back is psychologically bound to the feeling of gratitude; how much gratitude we feel often influences how much we give back and the ways in which this is done.
Large or small, public or private, ARMYs will always find ways to acknowledge the contributions that BTS has made, not just to the music industry, but to mankind in general. It’s not surprising then that ARMYs all over the world donate time, money, energy and resources as an outward expression of their love for BTS.
‘person’, ‘love’, ‘to live’
These three words are the things we need throughout our lives, and we should not take that away from ourselves.
(RM: Vlive 29.11.16)
Did You Know?
In January 2018, Big Hit officially announced that BTS would no longer be accepting gifts from fans. Understandably, this came as a big shock to ARMY who for five years had enjoyed showering BTS members with gifts. In handwritten letters to the fans, RM, J-Hope, and V thanked ARMY again for their unwavering love and support of BTS and asked for their understanding. Since that time ARMY's have continued to give back, albeit in more socially conscious and community-spirited forms.
Special Mention
On a more personal note, recently a young ARMY mum reached out to other ARMY mothers in the hopes of doing something special for her daughter.
She wanted to “see if any ARMY members would be kind enough to send her [daughter] a birthday card and let her know that ARMY stick together through good and bad times.”
Within a day of posting, cards started arriving. Nine days later, her living room floor looked like a patchwork quilt.
Needless to say, both the ARMY mum and her daughter were overwhelmed by the generosity shown by ARMYs.
As we launch into December, a time of the year typically known as “the season of giving and sharing,” be mindful that a handwritten card, a kind word, or a hug can be just as meaningful as a gift. Also, keep watching for our next blog when we introduce you to a project that is dear to the hearts of many and a wonderful opportunity to give back.”
Giving back is ARMY’s way of saying “I PURPLE YOU.”
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any audio & visual content in this video except for the editing. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS. No copyright infringement intended.
Written By: Mama Shelley
Edit By: Anna Moon
Commentaires