The Austin Cortex

The Austin Cortex - October 2011

2011-10-10T17:21:39Z

Austin Cortex
October 2011

Happy HalloWHEDON!!

Make your costume shiny this year with spooktacular items from our Scares of Whedon shop!

Looking to be the Hero of Canton this year? Try pairing our Handmade Jayne Hat ($37 for adult size) and one of our awesome Jayne Cobb replica t-shirts, such as the Troublemaker t-shirt ($29 S-XL, $34 XXL+) seen in the graphic to the right. Add your own Vera and it's time for some thrilling heroics with your instant Jayne costume!

Tap into your inner Kaylee with the hand painted replica Kaylee Parasol, Kaylee Bear Patch or our new Kaylee Patch Bag. Tell me I'm pretty. Pretty shiny, that is!

Got Evil? That is, the Evil League of Evil! Grab one of our many Dr. Horrible t-shirts to start your costume on the path to world domination!

Don't forget necessary Browncoat essentials such as replica Money Packs and Browncoat Silicone Bracelets!

Every order placed that includes one of our HalloWHEDON items is eligible to win a HalloWHEDON-sized prize! Order now � BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

Brutalitea Line

After a long night of scaring people or handing out candy, relax with a shiny cup of our signature Brutalitea! What's scarier than that! It will bring you Serenitea especially if you drink it from our 76th Battalion Mug!

Special on Pumpkin Pie Tea

For the first time ever, we're offering some of our Pie Tea collection via our website. We've never sold this tea before, though we have been known to give a sample or two during Sherwood Forest Faire. What better Pie Tea to offer than PUMPKIN PIE! This delectable tea tastes just like grandma's pumpkin pie; it's best served hot with a little whipped cream on top! We will only offer this tea during the holiday season, so get some now before it's too late! If you buy our Pumpkin Pie tea, you'll be eligible to win a custom blended tea made by our very own tea mistress, Beth Nelson.

Master of the Whedonverse

Attention Shiny Browncoats and Browncoat Supporters, have we got a game for you!

Austin Browncoats would like to invite you to test your knowledge of the Whedonverse in our new game Master of the Whedonverse!

Starting Saturday, October 1st, we will present trivia questions on both the Austin Browncoats Twitter account and Facebook Page. The first person, based on the time-stamp from Twitter/Facebook, to compile 5 correct answers will win a shiny autographed prize along with a chance to compete for a Grand Prize at the next CSTS event!

The questions will entail items from all of the Whedonverse so make sure you do your homework!

Please read below for all the rules and regulations.

No Power in the Verse Can Stop You! Good Luck!

Rules are as follows:

The first question will be released on Saturday, October 1st. New questions will be posted after we receive the earliest time-stamped correct answer to the previously released question. The same questions will be posted to the Austin Browncoats Twitter and Facebook accounts. We will accept answers from both accounts, but the earliest time-stamp correct answer will be deemed winner.

The first person to respond correctly to 5 trivia questions will win an autographed Whedonverse-related prize. (List of potential prizes below.) In the event of a tie, we will offer a tie-breaker question to determine the final winner.

The winner must respond to a request for their address within two weeks in order to claim their prize. Should said winner fail to respond, they risk losing their shiny new prize and a new winner will be chosen from the next earliest time-stamped correct answer.

Once a contestant has successfully answered 5 trivia questions and received their shiny prize, they are no longer eligible to participate in the trivia rounds until the Grand Prize competition. Once the Grand Prize competition is over, regular play will be resumed and all contestants are then eligible to participate again.

The top 5 winners will have a chance to compete for a Grand Prize at the next CSTS event. Should one of the Top 5 winners not wish to be entered into the Grand Prize event, the next earliest time-stamped correct answer contestant will be eligible to attend. If one of the Grand Prize round contestants is unable to attend the live event in person but still wishes to compete, we will leave the option open for them to compete via Skype, Google Chat or Phone in options. This option must be discussed with Austin Browncoats at least one week prior to the scheduled CSTS event or the contestant will no longer be eligible. Austin Browncoats reserves the right to advertise the winner of this contest via social networking, newsletters, forums and our website.

LIST OF POTENTIAL PRIZES:

Autographed photos
Autographed Merchandise
Merchandise with values of up to $50
and more!

Grand Prize Winner will win a gift pack of Whedonverse merch and autographs worth over $300!

Current Trivia Winnters

As of this mailing, our current trivia winners are:

Ruth Ann Francis - 5 correct answers
Katie Brown - 1 correct answer
Michael Pearson - 1 correct answer
Tabitha Grace Smith - 1 correct answer
Alicia Stanley - 1 correct answer

Ruth Ann is officially our first winner! She has 5 correct answers and will get an autographed Serenity Alliance currency signed by Jane Espenson.

Monthly Donations

Austin Browncoats is a fundraising charity. We help other non-profits with the most difficult part of the job � fundraising and volunteerism. Since 2010, we've been donating at least $500 a month to a supported charity.

Month	Charity
January	Kids Need to Read Kids Need to Read is a national nonprofit charity focusing on promoting childhood literacy and addressing the deplorable state of library funding that currently exists in the United States. Donating exciting, new books to schools, public libraries, health clinics and shelters in need, the foundation works to develop a lifelong love of reading in all children.
February	Equality Now Equality Now was founded in 1992 to work for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women around the world. Working with national human rights organizations and individual activists, Equality Now documents violence and discrimination against women and mobilizes international action to support their efforts to stop these human rights abuses.
March	National MS Society The National MS Society is a collective of passionate individuals who want to do something about MS now�to move together toward a world free of multiple sclerosis. MS stops people from moving. We exist to make sure it doesn't.
April	Lupus Foundation of America The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. (LFA) is the foremost national nonprofit voluntary health organization dedicated to finding the causes of and cure for lupus and providing support, services and hope to all people affected by lupus.
May	American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the ACS has 12 chartered Divisions, more than 900 local offices nationwide, and a presence in more than 5,100 communities.
June/July	Austin Browncoats Community Scholarship � given to two high school seniors for a total of $1500.
August	Heart House Austin Heart House's innovative afterschool program is the only daily program for school-age children in a neighborhood known for its high crime, high unemployment, and lack of affordable, quality care for children. At Heart House, children have access to caring adult mentors, homework assistance, art enrichment, computer learning, health and safety education, and literacy programs.
September	Balcones Youth Sports � we're sponsoring a Little League Baseball team in Austin. More information once available. ($575)
October	SafePlace � Domestic Violence Awareness Month SafePlace exists to end�sexual and domestic violence. Nationally recognized for its innovative and effective programs, we have been providing women, children and men a place of safety, compassion and empowerment in Austin, Texas�since 1974. As a community we can make a difference.�We can have a community free of rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence. We invite you to join us.
November	Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center The Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center provides a safe after-school environment where hundreds of boys and girls in South Central Los Angeles nurture their dreams, participate in tutoring and academic enrichment programs, learn important social skills and are guided to succeed in school and enter college. Ron Glass, who stars as Shepherd Book in Firefly and Serenity, is on the Board of Directors for the center.
December	CASA - Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children CASA of Travis County speaks up for children who�ve been abused or neglected by empowering our community to volunteer as advocates for them in the court system.

Want to help us pick January 2012's Monthly Donation? Email us at: charity@austinbrowncoats.com with the subject: January's Monthly Donation.

For a list of charities we support, check out our website: www.austinbrowncoats.com/charities.php

Want to recommend a new charity we should support? Let us know! Email us at: charity@austinbrowncoats.com with the subject: Check out this charity!

Want to donate money specifically for any of our special donations, such as a monthly donation or our scholarship program? We'd love for your support! You can donate here: www.austinbrowncoats.com/donate.php

Austin Browncoats Community Scholarship

This year, Austin Browncoats awarded scholarships to a pair of deserving high school seniors under the new Austin Browncoats Community Scholarship program. Where our recipients differ in almost every aspect of their backgrounds; they have the common traits of excellent performance in the classroom, giving back to their communities, and a desire to continue to make the world better through higher education. Both recipients have a GPA of over 3.8 and have completed more than 900 hours of community service combined. Their dedication to community service is what made them our top candidates.

This process has been one of the most fulfilling endeavors we've undertaken. We are eagerly anticipating the applications for next year's scholarships. We can't wait to be impressed by the next crop of student-volunteers. Young people who understand the value of education and giving back to their community deserve the opportunity to reach their goals. We are grateful to have the opportunity to help them along their way.

About Austin Browncoats Community Scholarship:

On November 11th, 2010, we submitted our first scholarship to Austin Independent School District: "Austin Browncoats Community Scholarship". It is a need and merit based scholarship available to graduating seniors with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher (on the 4.0 scale), who also have a strong volunteer background. This scholarship will give the recipient up to $1,000 toward their education. For the 2011 school year, we decided to award $750 scholarships to two deserving individuals.

Interested in applying? Talk to your school counselor or visit the Naviance � College and Career Counseling site.

We're working on ideas for a fundraiser centered around awarding this scholarship to the lucky winner, once they've been chosen. Have ideas? Send them to us via info@austinbrowncoats.com.

Upcoming Events

For more upcoming events, keep an eye on our website and join our community on Facebook.

Volunteer with the Austin Browncoats

Austin Browncoats host charitable functions all year long, ranging from convention booths to large-scale shindigs. While the majority of our events take place in the State of Texas, we also host booths at large conventions, such as Dragon*Con in Atlanta, and are always looking for additional support in a variety of roles.

Want to do good works and have fun at the same time? Fill out our volunteer form!

Austin Browncoats is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN/tax ID number: 26-0492985).
P.O. Box 203604 Austin, Texas 78720-3604 512-294-3816
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The Austin Cortex - Austin CSTS Tickets Available!

2011-08-19T13:20:31Z



Austin CSTS Tickets Available Now!� Now is the time to get your tickets to this year's Austin CSTS - September 10th and 11th - held at Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek.� Tickets are on sale online now! They are $18 for Saturday 12PM and 10PM, $21 for Saturday 5PM and $15 for our No Frill Sunday Screening!� We highly recommend you purchase your tickets online, since we always sell out before the screenings!� Go to our official CSTS website to get your tickets: http://www.cantstoptheserenity.com/austin/theatre.html We have a special treat for our guests this year in the form of screenings of two fan favorite episodes: Firefly's Out of Gas and Buffy's Once More, With Feeling. This is extremely special, since FOX rarely allows public screenings of these episodes! We haven�t seen Once More, With Feeling at an Austin CSTS event since 2007! Check out our full schedule of events, available at our website for details. We have a fun filled day planned on Saturday, complete with costume contests, charity auctions, and raffles.� In addition to Serenity and the special episodes, we will be showing Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog again this year.� For those who may not be able to attend our events on Saturday, our Sunday event will include only a screening of Serenity and Out of Gas at 12 PM. Wait, that's not all! During our CSTS events this year and with the help of our friend Stephanie Pellegrin, we are holding a new book drive benefiting Kids Need to Read. For every new children's or young adult book you donate, you will receive one raffle ticket for a chance to win one of our awesome Firefly and Joss themed prizes. Some prices are valued for over $100. The person who donates the most books per show will also win a prize. Please see our website for details. So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets now!� And don't forget to check out our 2011 CSTS merch also available on our website.� We have our coveted Big Damn Bags on sale again.� They include a ticket to the event, a CSTS 2011 event shirt, a custom piece of 'Verse artwork...and more!� You can pre-order shiny CSTS T-shirts, posters, Jayne Hats, and embroidered patches. Last year, we raised over $30,000 for charity. This year will mark the $100,000+ total raised marker for Austin Browncoats during our CSTS events. Let�s blow last year�s totals out of the water! Together we can make Austin CSTS 2011 the best one yet!
Austin Browncoats is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN/tax ID number: 26-0492985). P.O. Box 203604 Austin, Texas 78720-3604 512-484-9641 Click here to unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our newsletters.

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The Austin Cortex - Austin CSTS Tickets Available!

2011-08-19T13:19:41Z



Austin CSTS Tickets Available Now!� Now is the time to get your tickets to this year's Austin CSTS - September 10th and 11th - held at Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek.� Tickets are on sale online now! They are $18 for Saturday 12PM and 10PM, $21 for Saturday 5PM and $15 for our No Frill Sunday Screening!� We highly recommend you purchase your tickets online, since we always sell out before the screenings!� Go to our official CSTS website to get your tickets: http://www.cantstoptheserenity.com/austin/theatre.html We have a special treat for our guests this year in the form of screenings of two fan favorite episodes: Firefly's Out of Gas and Buffy's Once More, With Feeling. This is extremely special, since FOX rarely allows public screenings of these episodes! We haven�t seen Once More, With Feeling at an Austin CSTS event since 2007! Check out our full schedule of events, available at our website for details. We have a fun filled day planned on Saturday, complete with costume contests, charity auctions, and raffles.� In addition to Serenity and the special episodes, we will be showing Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog again this year.� For those who may not be able to attend our events on Saturday, our Sunday event will include only a screening of Serenity and Out of Gas at 12 PM. Wait, that's not all! During our CSTS events this year and with the help of our friend Stephanie Pellegrin, we are holding a new book drive benefiting Kids Need to Read. For every new children's or young adult book you donate, you will receive one raffle ticket for a chance to win one of our awesome Firefly and Joss themed prizes. Some prices are valued for over $100. The person who donates the most books per show will also win a prize. Please see our website for details. So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets now!� And don't forget to check out our 2011 CSTS merch also available on our website.� We have our coveted Big Damn Bags on sale again.� They include a ticket to the event, a CSTS 2011 event shirt, a custom piece of 'Verse artwork...and more!� You can pre-order shiny CSTS T-shirts, posters, Jayne Hats, and embroidered patches. ast year, we raised over $30,000 for charity. This year will mark the $100,000+ total raised marker for Austin Browncoats during our CSTS events. Let�s blow last year�s totals out of the water! Together we can make Austin CSTS 2011 the best one yet!
Austin Browncoats is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN/tax ID number: 26-0492985). P.O. Box 203604 Austin, Texas 78720-3604 512-484-9641 Click here to unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our newsletters.

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The Austin Cortex - Can't Stop the Serenity Austin 2011

2011-06-07T16:37:46Z



Austin Browncoats present Can't Stop the Serenity Austin 2011 Austin Browncoats will be hosting Can't Stop the Serenity here in Austin for the sixth year running. Our events will be held on September 10th and 11th this year. That's t-minus three months and counting until CSTS Austin 2011 is upon us, so mark your calendars and plan on joining us at the Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek for two days of Serenity, Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog, costume contests, raffles, auctions, and maybe even some shiny surprises. When: Saturday & Sunday September 10-11, 2011 Where: Alamo Lake Creek 13729 Research Boulevard Austin, TX 78750 Event Website Big Damn Bags In 2008, we put together a big damn bag unique to Austin's Can't Stop The Serenity event! It was such a success, that we've made it a tradition. Simply put, this bag is one of everything! Valued at over $150.00. We only have a very limited number, and once they're gone, they're gone for good! Contents include: 1 ticket to the Austin CSTS Event of Choice 1 Official 2011 Global Can't Stop The Serenity T-Shirt, Men's 1 Official 2011 Global Can't Stop The Serenity Poster 11x17 A special autographed item (or two!) Exclusive artwork commissioned for Austin event ...and more, to be announced Visit our event merch page to order your Big Damn Bag before they are all gone! Whedon Wares: The Browncoat Store Each year at CSTS Austin, attendees peruse our Austin Browncoats Whedon Wares booth and get their dose of fandom t-shirts and other bits of swag. However, if you cannot wait until September to expand your fan merch collection, you can head over to our online store at www.whedonwares.com anytime. All proceeds in both our booth and online shop go to support our charities, including Equality Now, Safeplace, and Kids Need to Read. Big Damn Surprise For those familiar with our CSTS events, you know we aim to bring you the most entertaining charity event that we possibly can. In the past, we've added screenings of Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog to our schedule, and last year we welcomed special guest Ron Glass to our CSTS Austin 2010 events. This year, we have something equally as fun in store for our attendees, in the form of a special screening of a fan favorite for some or all of our events. We will be announcing the specifics of this shiny surprise soon, so keep an eye on our event website, home website and social networking sites for the big news. Follow us on: Twitter and Facebook We hope to see many old and new faces at this year's CSTS Austin. Our schedule of events and ticket sales will be available as we approach September. Keep flyin'! Austin Browncoats Can't Stop the Serenity For the sixth year, screenings of the science fiction film "Serenity" will be held around the world to raise money and awareness for an international women's rights advocacy group. The unprecedented effort marks the culmination of a year's work by fans to bring a writer's vision of equality to a mass audience. Can't Stop The Serenity was conceived as a tribute to writer-director Joss Whedon on his birthday, June 23, by holding screenings of his 2005 film 'Serenity' wherever supporters were able to organize events. Proceeds from the events are donated to Equality Now, a charitable organization that Whedon's mother, Lee Stearns, helped launch. In 2010, we raised over $140,000 for Equality Now, meaning that we've raised over $550,000 for Equality Now since 2006. A full list of cities holding screening events can be found at CantStopTheSerenity.com. Not sure if your city has confirmed a CSTS screening? Check out the forums at http://community.cantstoptheserenity.com. http://cantstoptheserenity.com Equality Now Equality Now was founded in 1992 to work for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women around the world. Working with national human rights organizations and individual activists, Equality Now documents violence and discrimination against women and mobilizes international action to support their efforts to stop these human rights abuses. http://www.equalitynow.org Austin Browncoats Austin Browncoats, founded in 2007, is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt non-profit located in Austin, TX. Austin Browncoats work to end violence and discrimination in all sectors of society. We place special focus on working alongside young women and children because, given the opportunity and proper education, young women and children can help create a better world for all beings. Much like our passion for the amazing works of Joss Whedon, such as Firefly, we are passionate about our causes and raising funds for our charities, including Equality Now, SafePlace, Heart House and Emancipet. www.austinbrowncoats.com For more information about volunteering for this and other Austin Browncoats events, email: volunteer@austinbrowncoats.com.
Austin Browncoats is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN/tax ID number: 26-0492985). P.O. Box 203604 Austin, Texas 78720-3604 512-484-9641 Click here to unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our newsletters.

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The Austin Cortex - 2010 Donation Year in Review

2010-12-15T16:29:07Z



Austin Browncoats 2010 Donation Year in Review Dear Browncoats, Happy holidays! We hope this holiday season is treating you well! We've had an exciting year�and it's not over yet!� We've traveled cross country from New York City to Los Angeles in order to raise money for our supported charities. � We've worked countless hours, we've knitted hundreds of Jayne hats and we've sold a whole lotta Serenitea!� We want to thank you for your love and support.� Without our members, we wouldn't be able to help all of the amazing charities we've supported this year.�� Remember, you don't need to live in Austin to be an Austin Browncoat. Who did Austin Browncoats Support? We sent monetary donations to: Equality Now Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center Kids Need to Read SafePlace American Diabetes Association Jobs for Youth Throughout the year, we support numerous other charities by giving them tangible donations they can use to raffle, auction or eBay for additional funds. "If You Can't Do Something Smart, Do Something Right" Some people still ask us why we do "this".� Some people still ask us if all this work is "worth it".� Those people are the reason we are still working 40+ volunteer hours a week.� In this day and age, if there are still people who question why we're working so hard to end violence and discrimination, there is truly something wrong.� To paraphrase a wonderfully written character, we are all here for different reasons -- whether that be our love of Firefly, Nathan Fillion, the sense of family and community or the love of doing good works -- but now we need to pull together and really fight to make this world a better place.� At this very moment, there are people suffering from violence and discrimination.� It is easy to think that it's happening somewhere else; it's easy to think that it's not happening here.� The truth?� It's happening in your backyard.� So, join us.� Become an active Austin Browncoat.� Bring your friends along, too, because being a Browncoat is mo re than just loving Firefly and Joss Whedon.� It's about fighting for what is right...and in my opinion, if you do something right, you're making the smartest decision possible. Can't Stop the Austin Browncoats Photos by Brent LaVelle All of our hard work culminated in Austin and San Antonio's Can't Stop The Serenity (CSTS) events.� Every year, dozens of cities across the globe gather to watch Serenity and raise money for Equality Now (and other supported charities). Austin's CSTS involvement began in 2006 when Alamo Drafthouse first partnered with local Browncoats in order to raise $500 for Equality Now. With 41 cities participating from 5 different countries, we raised $65,900.24 which was an amazing amount of money for such a small, grassroots charity event. Austin Browncoats formed in 2007 and hosted CSTS as their first major fundraising event. Raising over $6000 for Equality Now, we couldn't stop there�and neither could the rest of the world. We raised $106,165.69 with 42 cities in 7 countries participating. 2008 was a great, yet trying year for Austin Browncoats. We not only hosted our own CSTS event, but we also ran 2008's Global Team, as well, with the assistance of some amazing individuals, such as Dr. Miranda Ween fro Adelaide. Thinking back on some of the trials and victories of 2008, it reminds me of my closing statement as CSTS 2008's Global Organizer: "We faced adversity together and triumphed over it. That makes us mighty, and it makes me proud to call myself a Browncoat. The easy times don't often show a person's true character; it's how people act when met with conflict that shows their real nature." This rings true for all occasions. It especially rings true for the Browncoat community. Austin Browncoats is not your run of the mill non-profit organization. In 2008, Austin American Statesmen journalist, Andrea Ball, asked us why we chose the name "Austin Browncoats" since it wouldn't automatically educate people about our cause (in comparison to SafePlace, Kids Need to Read, American Diabetes Association, etc.). I remember expressing to her that we could've named ourselves something more "obvious" to the mainstream, but that would be missing the mark. We don't just want to work with individuals who already donate to our type of charity. We want to work with those individuals who are naturally philanthropic, but just haven't found a charity they feel understands them and their charitable goals. We want to raise money for our supported charities that wouldn't have been donated had it not been for our unique brand of philanthropy. To some, this might seem like an odd choice, but Browncoats understand what we mean. By doing this, we're generating a brand new donation stream instead of tapping into already appropriated donation funds. 2008 brought Austin its biggest donation yet of $10,883.40 in support of Equality Now. We also assisted the Houston CSTS event hosted by the Houston Browncoats who raised an amazing $7,634.04 for charity! Overall, we had 45 cities in 4 countries who raised a total of $107,219.15. We decided the excitement of running Austin's CSTS event wasn't enough in 2009. We added a city: San Antonio. We've been contacted by a number of cities across the US (and a few outside of the US) asking if we'd help run their event. It's so hard to do this remotely, but with San Antonio, we could drive the 90 minutes and be there to run the event ourselves! Challenge accepted, per usual, we were now running two full CSTS events. Again, people asked us why we were taking on another event. People wanted to know why we were putting ourselves through so much work. I answered simply: "While we love Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion and PJ Haarsma, our reasons for doing what we're doing are bigger than those three talented gentleman.� For us, it all boils down to what is right and what is wrong; the fundamental principles we all learned as children through books, through parents, through school are the basis for our support.� Do we all deserve equality? Yes.� Are we all equal right now? No.� The necessity of charitable organizations like Kids Need To Read� and Equality Now proves that to us."� The more we educated people about what we were fighting for (and against), the more they wanted to support us and our efforts. "In the 2005 Trafficking in Persons Report, it states that while a true number is unknown, it is believe that an "estimated 600,000 to 800,000 men, women, and children [are trafficked] across international borders each year, approximately 80 percent are women and girls and up to 50 percent are minors."� Taking the low estimate, that means that 300,000 minors are trafficked, with the majority of those victims being trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation.� (Remember, these figures focus on transnational trafficking and not victims who are trafficked within their own borders.)" We let our attendees know that these travesties are not just occurring over "there" with "there" equating to some far away land. An estimated 17,000 people are trafficked into the United States each year. Many of these people are young girls being forced into prostitution. This is happening here, not just "there". Some people asked how it could be happening in 2009. Secretary Hillary Clinton explained that in times of global financial crisis, individuals are more likely to take risks for economic gain which could lead to even higher trafficking numbers. (http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2009/123123.htm) Our message was heard loud and clear in both Austin and San Antonio. We raised a total of $25,632.82 for charity, supporting both Equality Now and Kids Need To Read. A remarkable 50 cities in 7 countries raised $137,331.14 overall! This brings me to 2010, the year of the Tiger. We started off this year aggressively. We attended more conventions than any previous year. We shook things up and made a lot of changes to our operations. We added more items to our inventory and gained a lot of new volunteers. We started our first storefront at Sherwood Forest Faire, "Wares of Whedon" and learned that we're pretty handy when it comes to building, painting and carrying tea pots in creative manners. When CSTS season can around, we were excited to see what we could do to shake things up. In comes Ron Glass, a true class act. He was our guest for Austin's CSTS event, including auctioning off three seats at a dinner event with him in attendance. Ron hosted a couple Q&A's, an hour long autograph session and was just, plain charming the entire time he was in Austin. We hosted four screenings in Austin this time around, including our "Senior Citizens" event, for folks who just want to watch Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and Serenity and don't want to see costume contests or raffle prizes. We included our usual introduction video (you know, about the Enterprise and stuff�), our costume contest, raffle and live auction (which included a particularly realistic Mal being detained by the even more realistic Austin Police Department because another movie-goer thought his guns were real). We even had special guests, The Bedlam Bards who stopped by to enjoy the show and let us know about Sonny Rhodes' birthday party! All in all, it was an extremely successful weekend of events! In San Antonio, we downgraded to two screenings due to some timing conflicts, but still had a joyous time with our San Antonio Browncoats. We hosted raffles, auctions, watched Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and Serenity and enjoyed talking about other geeky treasures including Doctor Who and Logan's Run. One of the best things to come from our San Antonio CSTS event, besides the donation to charity, was a newly formed San Antonio Browncoats group. For years, we've shepherded and guided the San Antonio Browncoats, but they're ready to take the reins�and we're extremely excited and proud! They are currently recruiting more members as we speak: www.sanantoniobrowncoats.com. After the dust settled from 3 days of Can't Stop the Serenity fundraising, Austin Browncoats raised a total of $37,000 for charity. We were able to donate money to 4 amazing charities � Equality Now, Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center, Kids Need to Read and SafePlace. We're excited to see what this money will mean to these dedicated non-profit organizations. While the Global tally for 2010 isn't complete yet, as of today, we've raised $118,061 for charity. (And that's with 14 cities still waiting to be added to the total!) We said it perfectly in 2009: "Austin Browncoats believe that we can save the world, one shindig at a time.� Can't Stop The Serenity shows us that not only is our motto a possibility, but it is our reality.� We are helping to save the world, one shindig at a time, with the help of Browncoats all across the globe.� The war again injustice and inequality will not be won by one person, one voice, one donation, one article, one charity; it will take a village.� Or perhaps a crew of Big Damn Heroes.� Good thing we know just where to find them." Thank you for reading, volunteering, sponsoring, attending and being a Big Damn Hero in your own right! See you next year, Beth Nelson Chairman Austin Browncoats The Future of Can't Stop the Serenity We're going to host a meeting in January to discuss the future of Austin Browncoats and Can't Stop the Serenity. Interested in getting more involved? Keep an eye on the website and forum! We'd love for you to attend. Austin Browncoats Community Scholarship It has always been a dream of ours to help underprivileged students be able to attend an accredited university. We knew we wanted to start a scholarship program, but didn't know when we would be able to achieve something like this. On November 11th, 2010, we submitted our first scholarship to Austin Independent School District. It's called "Austin Browncoats Community Scholarship". It is a need and merit based scholarship available to graduating seniors with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 (on the 4.0 scale) who also have a strong volunteer background. This scholarship will give the recipient up to $1,000 toward their education. Interested in applying? Talk to your school counselor or visit the Naviance � College and Career Counseling site. We're working on ideas for a fundraiser centered around awarding this scholarship to the lucky winner, once they've been chosen. Have ideas? Send them to us via info@austinbrowncoats.com. Monthly Donations Austin Browncoats is a fundraising charity. We help other non-profits with the most difficult part of the job � fundraising and volunteerism. We want to be true to our grassroots, so we decided to start a monthly donation. We're going to donate at least $500 a month to one of our supported charities. October's charity was SafePlace, Austin's emergency shelter. We believe in the work they're doing and know just how important it is for them to be well-funded and well-staffed. October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month, http://dvam.vawnet.org/, so we found it fitting to give our month donation to a charity so dedicated to ending violence and discrimination against all people. SafePlace exists to end�sexual and domestic violence. Nationally recognized for its innovative and effective programs, we have been providing women, children and men a place of safety, compassion and empowerment in Austin, Texas�since 1974. As a community we can make a difference.�We can have a community free of rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence. We invite you to join us. November's charity was Heart House Austin. Heart House's innovative afterschool program is the only daily program for school-age children in a neighborhood known for its high crime, high unemployment, and lack of affordable, quality care for children. At Heart House, children have access to caring adult mentors, homework assistance, art enrichment, computer learning, health and safety education, and literacy programs. December's charity is Emancipet. EmanciPet, Inc., founded in 1999, is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt nonprofit organization located in Austin, Texas. EmanciPET is dedicated to preventing animal homelessness and putting an end to euthanasia as a means of population control by providing low-cost or free surgical sterilization of dogs and cats. This website is designed to inform pet owners (and future pet owners) about our services and raise awareness about the pet overpopulation problem in Austin and the spay/neuter solution. In the city of Austin alone, almost 1,000 dogs and cats are euthanized each month! If more pet owners had their pets spayed or neutered, the number of animals euthanized would decrease. If you own a dog or cat, we urge you to join us in combating animal overpopulation and euthanasia by having your pet spayed or neutered. Want to help us pick January's Monthly Donation? Email us at: charity@austinbrowncoats.com with the subject: January's Monthly Donation. For a list of charities we support, check out our website: www.austinbrowncoats.com/charities.php Want to recommend a new charity we should support? Let us know! Email us at: charity@austinbrowncoats.com with the subject: Check out this charity! Want to donate money specifically for any of our special donations, such as a monthly donation or our scholarship program? We'd love for your support! You can donate here: www.austinbrowncoats.com/donate.php Our 2011 Initiative We are developing our goals for 2011. We want to see a few more awesome things happen. We want to get back to our local roots and make sure we've putting together great, local shindigs for our volunteers, including karaoke, lasertag, Browncoats Dining Out, etc. We want to host Geekstravaganza 2011 again! We want to find more local fundraising and volunteer opportunities, such as supporting local food banks and clothing drives. We want to work on a non-dated calendar (you enter your own dates) of Geek Girls with all proceeds going to charity. What else should we do? Have any suggestions? Email us at info@austinbrowncoats.com. We want to work on having an office and/or storefront in Austin, so we need Grant Writers desperately. Thank you for taking the time to read through our "Donation Year in Review" Newsletter. Please think of us when organizing your future schedule. We are always in need of volunteers, especially Grant Writers. Keep flyin'! Austin Browncoats
Austin Browncoats is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN/tax ID number: 26-0492985). P.O. Box 203604 Austin, Texas 78720-3604 512-484-9641 Click here to unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our newsletters.

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Whedon Wares Black Friday Special

2010-11-25T09:11:55Z



Whedon Wares Black Friday Special! Austin Browncoats is celebrating Black Friday with a special giveaway. Anyone who makes a purchase during Black Friday is entered into a giveaway with the chance of winning some autographed items! We have four awesome autographed items up for grabs: The Shepherd's Tale signed by Ron Glass "Shindig" script signed by Jane Espenson Serenity comic signed by Morena Baccarin Serenity comic signed by Adam Baldwin and we have a few other surprises we might giveaway, too, if things get really exciting! So, shop til you drop, Browncoats. Know that all the proceeds go to charity and that your purchase is helping amazing charities, such as Kids Need To Read, Equality Now and SafePlace. There is no spending minimum, nor are there are other qualifiers besides having to make at least one purchase during Black Friday. All the best, Austin Browncoats
Austin Browncoats is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN/tax ID number: 26-0492985). P.O. Box 203604 Austin, Texas 78720-3604 512-484-9641 Click here to unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our newsletters.

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Austin CSTS Ron Glass Dinner Auction

2010-09-01T13:48:38Z



Attention Firefly and Serenity Fans! Ron Glass (Shepherd Book) will be in Austin for the annual Can't Stop the Serenity event on 9/11. The Austin Browncoats will be enjoying dinner with Ron at Hudson's on the Bend later that night, and are auctioning off a seat at that dinner. 2 places will be auctioned separately, and there will be a total of 8 people in the group. Folks, we are talking about great food and the best conversation around with one of the Big Damn Heroes! Winner will be responsible for the cost of their own meal, drinks and gratuity. Spread the word, bid well and bid often for this once in a lifetime opportunity. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to charity. Payment accepted by Paypal. Auction for Seat 1 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120616331162 Auction for Seat 2 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120616331320 The auctions end on September 8th, so on your mark, get set, BID!
Austin Browncoats is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN/tax ID number: 26-0492985). P.O. Box 203604 Austin, Texas 78720-3604 512-484-9641 Click here to unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our newsletters.

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Pancakes, Shepherds and Charity, oh my!

2010-08-15T08:19:06Z



Contents Pancake Breakfast Austin CSTS Pancakes, Shepherds and Charity, oh my! Pancake Breakfast August 21, 2010 Austin Browncoats will be sponsoring another Pancake Fundraiser! We will be hosting our annual "Cant Stop the Serenity" event to benefit Equality Now on September 11th. To get the fund-raising spirit underway, the Browncoats will be providing some Grade A Foodstuffs for your enjoyment! The Austin Browncoats support several local charities yearly, including SafePlace, Kids Need To Read, Emancipet, Equality Now and The Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center. See you there and thank you! Where: Grace Methodist Church (www.gracemethodistaustin.org) 205 E Monroe St, Austin, TX 78704 When: 8:30 AM - ???, August 21st Cost: $6 (cash, money order, check), $6.50 (Paypal) To read more about the Austin Browncoats, feel free to visit our website: www.austinbrowncoats.com For more details on our special Can't Stop the Serenity event: www.cantstoptheserenity.com/austin To get your tickets in advance, click here: www.austinbrowncoats.com/pancakes.php back to top Austin CSTS Tickets Available Now!! Now is the time to get your tickets to this year's Austin CSTS - September 11th and 12th - held at Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek. Tickets are on sale online now! They are $15 if purchased online and $18 at the door. We highly recommend you purchase your tickets online, since we always sell out before the screening! Go to our official CSTS website to get your tickets: www.cantstoptheserenity.com/austin/theatre.html This is THE year to attend Austin CSTS if you are a fan of Firefly, Serenity, and giving to charity. Our special guest this year Ron Glass, who portrayed Shepherd Book in the Firefly/Serenity 'Verse, will be signing autographs and answering questions during our events on Saturday (Only the 12PM and 5PM screenings). All proceeds from the autographs will be going to charity, including The Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center. The Center provides a safe after-school environment for hundreds of boys and girls in South Central Los Angeles, and is the championed charity of Ron Glass himself. Our full schedule of events is available at our website. We have a fun filled day planned on Saturday, complete with costume contests, charity auctions, and raffles. In addition to Serenity, we will be showing Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog again this year. For those who may not be able to attend our events on Saturday, our Sunday event will include only a screening of Serenity and Dr. Horrible at 12 PM. So what are you waiting for? Get your tickets now! And don't forget to check out our 2010 CSTS merch also available on our website. We have our coveted Big Damn Bags on sale again. They include a ticket to the event, a CSTS 2010 event shirt, a custom piece of 'Verse artwork...and more! You can pre-order shiny CSTS T-shirts, posters, Jayne Hats, and even pre-donate for your Ron Glass autographs. Together we can make this years Austin CSTS the best one yet! Last year, Austin Browncoats raised almost $26,000 for charity. This year, we want to donate over $30,000! You guys make this possible, so we can't wait to see you soon! If you're busy on the 11th and 12th, check out our San Antonio screening here: www.cantstoptheserenity.com/sanantonio. Keep flyin'! Austin Browncoats back to top
Austin Browncoats is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN/tax ID number: 26-0492985). P.O. Box 203604 Austin, Texas 78720-3604 512-484-9641 Click here to unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our newsletters.

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What's New at Austin Browncoats

2010-02-13T09:11:24Z

What's New at Austin Browncoats
February 13, 2009

Austin Browncoats Forums

We would love for you to join us online in our discussion forums. There you can keep up-to-date on all Austin Browncoats events as well as take part in the planning of big Shindigs! Or just drop in for good discussions about many other topics in the 'Verse and beyond with other Austin Browncoats! Registration is free, so join today!

Call for Knitters

Are you handy with knitting needles? Do your friends refer to you as "Ma Cobb" more than your real name? If so, then Austin Browncoats could use your help! We are in need of knitting volunteers to help us produce cunning Jayne Hats, adorable Kaylee Beanies and elegant Inara Snoods which we sell to support our charities. What better way to pass a relaxing evening than knitting for charity!

Visit our website for more information.

Austin Browncoats Convention Schedule

2010 is looking to be a very busy for Austin Browncoats. Below is where you will find us (so far) around the convention circuit!

Dates	Convention	Location
February 27-28	Sherwood Forest Faire	Paige, TX

March 6-7	Sherwood Forest Faire	Paige, TX
March 13-14	Sherwood Forest Faire	Paige, TX
March 13-14	All-Con	Addision, TX
March 20-21	Sherwood Forest Faire	Paige, TX
March 27-28	Sherwood Forest Faire	Paige, TX

April 3-4	Sherwood Forest Faire	Paige, TX
April 16-18	C2E2	Chicago, IL

June 4-6	A Kon	Dallas, TX

July 9-10	San Japan	San Antonio, TX
July 16-17	Mecha Con	New Orleans, LA
July 21-25	San Diego Comic Con Fan outreach only; no booth.	San Diego, CA

August 12-16	Star Wars Celebration	Orlando, FL

September 3-6	Dragon*Con	Atlanta, GA
September 17-19	FenCon	Addison, TX

November 6-7	Creation Entertainment Firefly, Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse	Los Angeles, CA

For information on how you can volunteer to help out at one of these events, visit our Volunteer page.

CSTS Time Again

Yes, indeed, it's that time again! Time to start planning for Can't Stop the Serenity 2010! In 2009, Austin's screenings raised over $19,000 for Equality Now and Kids Need to Read! The Austin Browncoat planned San Antonio screenings raised $6,000! We want to make this year equally successful, and for that we need your help. We are accepting donations, both monetary and items, which will go towards this year's CSTS events. For more information about how you can help or get involved with our events this year, please write to info@austinbrowncoats.com. You can also visit www.cantstoptheserenity.com/austin and www.cantstoptheserenity.com/sananton io for information on each event as they develop.

What is Can't Stop The Serenity? CSTS is a global series of screenings of the film Serenity, held to raise money and awareness for Equality Now, www.equalitynow.org, an international women�s rights advocacy group. Can't Stop The Serenity events are held on (or around) June 23, which is writer/director Joss Whedons birthday, through the Serenity Release Anniversary, September 30.

More information about the global effort can be found at www.cantstoptheserenity.com.

Austin Browncoats is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN/tax ID number: 26-0492985).
P.O. Box 203604 Austin, Texas 78720-3604 512-484-9641
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Sherwood Forest Faire Call for Volunteers!

2010-02-03T10:48:20Z



Sherwood Forest Faire Booth Construction Help Needed! Austin Browncoats are in need of help with construction at Sherwood Forest Faire. We finally have a storefront, even if for only 6 weekends out of the year (February 27th through April 4th, 2010). We are participating in the new and highly anticipated Sherwood Forest Faire in Paige, TX (not terribly far from Austin). We have a 15�20 booth, #201, near the main stage and next to a large beverage booth. There is a lot of work ahead of us, though, and that�s where you guys come in! We need all kinds of volunteers for this event, considering its magnitude. Most importantly, any help from volunteers with an architectural or carpentry background would be greatly appreciated. The Faire opens on February 27th, so help is needed asap! To volunteer, please write to volunteer@austinbrowncoats.com. For information about other ways in which you can help at this event and others, see our Current Volunteer Opportunities page of our website.
Austin Browncoats is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN/tax ID number: 26-0492985). P.O. Box 203604 Austin, Texas 78720-3604 512-484-9641 Click here to unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our newsletters.

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Whedon Wares - Holiday Gifts!

2009-12-14T09:53:09Z



Whedon Wares - Holiday Gifts! The holiday season is upon us and what better gift for a Browncoat or Browncoat-to-Be than a little gift that supports charity! Head over to Whedon Wares: The Browncoat Store and stock up on gifts and stocking stuffers for the Browncoats in your life. We have Sereniteas to titillate the taste buds and a variety of popular Serenity and other fandom t-shirts for the geek savvy. Friends and family will look quite cunning in Jayne hats knitted by our very own Ma Cobb. You can even grab one for yourself while you're visiting! So visit www.whedonwares.com for these shiny goodies and much more. Make Whedon Wares: The Browncoat Store the one stop shop for all your Browncoat holiday shopping needs. Proceeds from every sale will support our championed charities.
Austin Browncoats is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (EIN/tax ID number: 26-0492985). P.O. Box 203604 Austin, Texas 78720-3604 512-484-9641 Click here to unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our newsletters.

The Austin Cortex

The Austin Cortex - October 2011

Austin CortexOctober 2011

Happy HalloWHEDON!!

Brutalitea Line

Special on Pumpkin Pie Tea

Master of the Whedonverse

Rules are as follows:

LIST OF POTENTIAL PRIZES:

Current Trivia Winnters

Monthly Donations

Austin Browncoats Community Scholarship

About Austin Browncoats Community Scholarship:

Upcoming Events

Volunteer with the Austin Browncoats

The Austin Cortex - Austin CSTS Tickets Available!

Austin CSTS Tickets Available Now!�

The Austin Cortex - Austin CSTS Tickets Available!

Austin CSTS Tickets Available Now!�

The Austin Cortex - Can't Stop the Serenity Austin 2011

Austin Browncoats presentCan't Stop the Serenity Austin 2011

Big Damn Bags

Whedon Wares: The Browncoat Store

Big Damn Surprise

Can't Stop the Serenity

Equality Now

Austin Browncoats

The Austin Cortex - 2010 Donation Year in Review

Austin Browncoats 2010 Donation Year in Review

Who did Austin Browncoats Support?

"If You Can't Do Something Smart, Do Something Right"

Can't Stop the Austin Browncoats

The Future of Can't Stop the Serenity

Austin Browncoats Community Scholarship

Monthly Donations

Our 2011 Initiative

Whedon Wares Black Friday Special

Whedon Wares Black Friday Special!

Austin CSTS Ron Glass Dinner Auction

Attention Firefly and Serenity Fans!

Pancakes, Shepherds and Charity, oh my!

Pancakes, Shepherds and Charity, oh my!

Pancake Breakfast

Austin CSTS Tickets Available Now!!

What's New at Austin Browncoats

Austin Browncoats Forums

Call for Knitters

Austin Browncoats Convention Schedule

CSTS Time Again

Sherwood Forest Faire Call for Volunteers!

Sherwood Forest Faire Booth Construction Help Needed!

Whedon Wares - Holiday Gifts!

Whedon Wares - Holiday Gifts!

Austin Cortex
October 2011

Austin Browncoats present
Can't Stop the Serenity Austin 2011

Austin Browncoats
2010 Donation Year in Review