No talking! Atlanta man relies only on social media for cancer fund raiser

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

He hasn't spoken a word in May. But it's not because he doesn't have plenty to say.

While his mother was still battling cancer, Clark Harris worked diligently to raise money for research. She died last year. But lately, getting the word out has meant relying strictly on social media.

"What better challenge for a guy who never shuts up than to not talk for a month?" Harris asks on his Web site.

Harris wants to "silence" cancer.

For the month of May, 29-year-old Harris has vowed to give up speaking, and he hopes people will pledge $5 to support his efforts. So far, "SilentClark Harris" has raised about $4,000. And he's not done yet.

Thank goodness for Web sites like Twitter and Facebook. Harris isn't allowing himself to send text message or even e-mail. He's not even speaking to his wife, Genna, whom he married in October.

"She was shocked when I first told her, but then really got it," said Harris, during a chat Sunday on Facebook. "She saw the vision and the potential in the idea."

If he has something to tell someone, he tweets it. His social media experiment is proving to be a challenge, but Harris says it's worth it to get his message across. All of the money will go to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Harris said. He hopes to eventually launch a "Silent Cancer" organization.

Harris said he raised $6,500 during a 100-mile bike ride in 2006. His mother, Ruth Harris, had hardly been suffering from Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia for several years, he said.

Harris' mother lost her 10-year battle with the cancer on Valentine's Day 2009. Since then, he's vowed to help in the fight against the cancer however he can.

Here's more of what Harris had to say, or chat, about with an AJC reporter:

Q: How has day-to-day life been without talking?

A: When I'm working its not as bad, unless I need to make a phone call or want to meet to talk about certain things. With my wife and in public, it's difficult. Everything I say is delayed and sometimes technology fails me.

Q: So you haven't spoken a word? Not even to yourself?

A: No, I've trained myself not to talk, so I feel like it would be counterproductive to talk to myself when I am alone. I've only slipped up a couple of times in 22 days.

Q: What about singing?

A: Nope, no singing either. I do laugh and humm from time to time.

Q: Are you normally very chatty

A: Exactly. I was a huge talker. Still am in a way -- just now it has to be online.

Q: Besides your wife, have you had other people tell you you're crazy for trying this?

A: Sure, there are always people I meet who are amazed by trying something like this. They are always very supportive when they hear the reason why I am doing it.

Q. What should people do who want to contribute?

A. They can visit http://socialmediaexperiment.com/ My twitter handle is @silentclark and there's "Silence Cancer" the Facebook fan page. They can also "Friend" me on Facebook under SilentClark Harris.