September 2008
September 13, 2008 - A 'Thank You' From PJ Haarsma
"Congratulations Austin Browncoats on the success of the Dragon*Con Knit-A-Thon. The Browncoat community has been instrumental in the success of Kids Need to Read, for which we are always grateful. I would like to personally thank you for your ongoing support of KNTR and look forward to our upcoming fundraising endeavors together. -- PJ Haarsma"
PJ Haarsma is the Founder, as well as a Director of Kids Need To Read. He is the author of The Softwire series, creator of the online game Rings of Orbis, and presenter and speaker on behalf of children’s literature.
September 6, 2008 - Austin Browncoats Send In Equality Now Donation
We sent in our Equality Now donation today, via check and registered mail, to the tune of $8500.00. We are extremely proud of our accomplishments, as well as the generosity of our local Browncoats. There are many people that need to be thanked for their support, assistance, hard work and dedication. To all of my volunteers, this would’ve been impossible without you. Kandace, the best co-emcee and auction slave – thank you for jumping right in to the swing of things. You’re relatively new to our charitable organization and fan group, but you went all in with your amazing energy and spirit. Ryan, Claudia and Jenn, you guys make me so proud. I’ve never met harder working individuals. You sacrificed seeing the Big Damn Movie (twice) in order to make sure that raffle tickets and merchandise were bought, goodie bags were given out and our attendees had everything they needed for an amazing event. Tonja, Steve, Sam, Brenda – you guys were and are my go-to volunteers. You’re always willing to do what needs to be done, and fill whatever role needs filling. I’m so impressed with how willing all of my Browncoats are to take charge and fill leadership roles. I’m reminded every day just how lucky I am to be surrounded by such a talented crew.
Thanks to Cedric of The Bedlam Bards for the incredible entertainment and to the Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek for their hospitality and generosity. That strawberry shortcake was divine!
I want to give special thanks to all of our attendees and donors. We know that finances are tighter this year than last, but your continued support and munificence made this staggering donation possible. We look forward to 2009 and hope to see all of you there! Tell your friends and family: if you loved 2008, than you are going to swoon over 2009!
Beth Nelson
Can't Stop The Serenity - Global Organizer
Austin's Can't Stop The Serenity - Local Organizer
September 4, 2008 - FedCon and Dragon*Con Fundraising for Kids Need To Read
We are proud to announce that we have raised $1250 for Kids Need To Read, one of our supported charities.
At FedCon, a convention that was canceled mid-con, we were able to raise $250 in donations from attendees, even after the con-goers found out that their travel fees and badge costs might not be recovered. We were so proud of the many Browncoats who showed up to support Kids Need To Read, and the many other individuals who donated money to a good cause for their love of children and promoting literacy. With less than 300 people in attendance, that means we almost received a dollar per person in attendance!
For Dragon*Con 2008, our Secretary of the Board of Director’s of Austin Browncoats, Claudia Drinovsky (a.k.a. Ma Cobb) proposed a Knit-a-thon. She’d see how many Jayne hats she could knit during booth hours at Dragon*Con, and folks would pledge a dollar amount per hat made. She ended up making 12 hats, and with those donations we were able to raise another $1000 for Kids Need To Read. Sadly, we were unable to present the check to Mr. Nathan Fillion himself because he left the convention a day early, but we are so proud of Claudia’s accomplishments and the generosity of Browncoats, Dragon*Con-goers, and our family and friends.
We look forward to continued opportunities to support Kids Need To Read and all of their amazing efforts.
Visit Kids Need To Read's Site to see photos of Claudia and all of her hats.