Does # = progress?

I've never seen sponsored walk-a-thons or K-2 runs as anything but fund-raisers. And fund-raising still hasn't cured cancer. Just as Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF didn't end childhood suffering in developing nations. These things are mostly used to raise awareness, which can be a good thing on its own.

I wonder if the # era is better at raising awareness, or does it risk burying important causes because it's being overused?