Fandom Rocks

Mission Fish and Ebay Giving Works

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:30:48 GMT

We've got some good news on the Ebay front. I just posted this on the web site:

Fandom Rocks is excited to announce our certification with Mission Fish. By certifying our organization, we become one of many non-profits which benefit from the system Ebay Giving Works and Mission Fish have created.

If you sell items on Ebay, you can designate Fandom Rocks as your non-profit of choice to receive a portion of the winning bid. You can also become a direct seller for Fandom Rocks meaning all the proceeds from your sales are donated to Fandom Rocks - Ebay even donates their usual fees!

Visit the Mission Fish and Ebay Giving Works web sites to learn more.

Sneak Peek #3

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:45:54 GMT

Countdown to the auction: 7 days!

Don't forget, if you have something you made or picked up to donate, please let us know! We have some fantastic items already, and we have more goodies on the way.

Here is your third little teaser - an auction spoiler, if you will. ;-)

Auction Sneak Peek #2

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:04:41 GMT

Countdown to the auction: 9 days!

Don't forget, if you have something you made or picked up to donate, please let us know! We have some fantastic items already, and we have more goodies on the way.

Here is your second little teaser - an auction spoiler, if you will. ;-)

And to make up for not posting one yesterday ... another!

auction reminders

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:23:06 GMT

Want to help promote the auction or have a handy reminder for yourself? Here you go! We have a couple small graphics and an icon for just that purpose. If you have ideas for graphics that outshine ours, please share! (We - and I mean me - weren't feeling super duper creative, so feel free to make shinier things.) =D

(click for full-size)

Auction Sneak Peek #1

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:45:12 GMT

Hello out there! Our auction is set to begin in just 11 days! Don't forget, if you have something you made or picked up to donate, please let us know! We have some fantastic items already, and we have more goodies on the way.

We want everyone to get excited about the auction. We want you to spread the word to your friends list, your communities, and elsewhere. With that in mind, we will be sharing little snippets of items that will be going on the auction block in 11 days.

Here is your first little teaser - an auction spoiler, if you will. ;-)

Fundraising Idea

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:43:44 GMT

Don't have items to donate to the auction, but still want to help out the campaign?

Host a House Party!

It doesn't have to be extravagant. Here are some ideas:

Put on your SPN DVDs and play SPN Bingo!
Play SPN charades!
Host a fan-fic reading night! (Afterall, we are supporting WriteGirl.)
Switch things up and have a Veronica Mars night. (Ryan Hansen and Kristen Bell support Invisible Children.)
Go outside of fandom and just have a dessert night - fondue, cookie share - anything!

There are a lot of ideas, and you can ask for a small donation at the door which adds up with just a few guests.

Do you have other ideas? Share them and help out your fellow fans. =)

Campaign #3: Harness the Hiatus

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:32:58 GMT

(Yes, I am going for alliteration. Watch out!)

We know the summer can be painful, avoiding spoilers, or trying to dig out any and every spoiler, basically just trying to outlast the hiatus. What does this mean for the Fandom Rocks campaign? We need to harness all of that fandom energy sitting out there ready to explode. Have you checked in on our third campaign recently?

Fandom Rocks Campaign #3
So far ... $400!
Days to go ... 50!

This calls for ... AUCTION!

That's right. We are hard at work behind the scenes with our new Frontliners organizing an auction to help reach our goal for this campaign.

What does it mean for you?
We are look for donations of fandom goodies - posters, books, cards, magazines, ANYTHING you created (with the exception of fanvids to keep ourselves safe from copyright issues).

We are collecting items as we ~~speak~~ type, and we hope you can add to the goodies.

When is this going to happen?
We would like to hold the auction beginning August 1st. This means we should have items in hand by July 31st or a pledge for a fan-made creation (bracelet, fiction, drawings, etc.) by then.

Where will this happen?
We are planning on using Ebay at this time. If you have suggestions for the future, we'd love to hear them.

What do you mean by GOODIES?
Well, how about some shiny Supernatural vinyl banners? Or, some cosy Supernatural t-shirts? Rather have something to read? We've got a few of those items as well. Plus? We are working with WriteGirl to offer some of their anthologies at auction. VERY COOL.

So, what do you say? Can you pledge something to the first Fandom Rocks auction in support of WriteGirl and Invisible Children?

voting

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:13:26 GMT

We need more people for positions, but the nominations we have received are now up for voting on the web site. Please comment to the original nomination post if you are still interested in taking a position.

nominations

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 03:09:30 GMT

We still need some nominations. Please join in? =)

Write Girl event

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:39:44 GMT

Are you excited to represent Fandom Rocks in Los Angeles? Do you want plans for this Sunday? Then I have the event for you!

Please let me know ASAP if you can attend. We would love to have a representative there, and I need to let WriteGirl know ASAP as well.

P.S. Would you be willing to get some bookmarks printed at Kinko's if I provided the file? =D

officer nominations

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:45:28 GMT

Thank you to everyone who voted on the by-laws.

Hopefully you took a good look at the officers we plan on having because it is time for nominations. To nominate yourself, head over to the web site to comment to the nomination post.

All nominees must comment to the web site post for review by the larger Fandom Rocks community.

Let me know if you have any questions.

two more days

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:35:39 GMT

Two more days for by-laws voting. If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone else for an officer position, please send us an email via the contact form on the web site with your full name, location, which position(s) you are interested in, and why. Thanks!

voting: by-laws

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:18:40 GMT

Please visit the web site to review and vote on the by-laws. Spread the word! =)

By-Laws

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:34:23 GMT

First Draft of FR By-Laws.

This is what we will be using to guide the NFP from here on out if we are going to go full-fledge NFP. I have to start over from scratch and turn in our application, plus the by-laws, plus the fees very soon.

Please take a look at the document and comment with your feedback. It is much appreciated!

What do you think of these as by-laws?

What parts are too much?

How can/should it be simplified?

Do you think we have enough fans willing to take on the roles of officers?

Online Meeting Reminder

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:47:23 GMT

Would anyone like to join us on Google Talk tonight at 9PM Central time for a meeting? Download and install Google Talk, it's free, then send me a message so I can add you to the contact list and invite you to the chat. (Find out what time it will be in your time zone.)

For tonight's meeting, we are going to begin working on the by-laws. We have some sample by-laws to get guidance from, and we will go through a section at a time developing our own. I imagine we'll get through 2-3 sections per meeting.

I hope to hear from you!

ETA: We just finished our meeting, and we are going to go again tomorrow night at the same time. Please join in if you have the time. Everyone's input is very valuable to us.

Mission Accomplished!

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:10:32 GMT

And has this been hard to keep under wraps!

Hello out there Fandom Rockers!

As some of you recall, we recently finished Campaign Two, where our funds were divided between the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund and the Lawrence Humane Society. During my visit with the IMSFF, they presented my dad with one of their special IMSFF challenge coins. This presentation meant a great deal to him, and after he explained the significance of the coins, to me as well.

The challenge coins have a long-standing history in the military, especially in the Marine Corps. Among service members, they are a way of verifying service in or with a particular unit. When they are presented to someone outside the unit, they represent meritorious service on behalf of that unit.

After arriving home from Camp Pendleton, I found myself thinking about the whole debacle at the Creation Convention in Chicago, where Jared and Jensen were given Special Forces coins, which later turned out to have been presented by a man who misrepresented himself. Most of us have heard the story, so I will not rehash the details.

I emailed our wonderful contact at the IMSFF, Angela McCrary, and inquired about possibly receiving a few of their challenge coins to present to them. I explained what had occurred with the fraudulence in Chicago, and how I felt this would serve to not only replace those coins on some level, but to promote the IMSFF and Fandom Rocks to the cast and crew. I felt that the show deserved the coins because without Supernatural, there would be no Fandom Rocks, and without Fandom Rocks, there would have been no contact between the fans and the IMSFF.

I received an enthusiastic response from Angela, and two challenge coins were sent to me to present to Jared and Jensen. There began a month of nail- and cheek-biting.

In order to be "valid," a challenge coin must be presented by a member of the unit for which the coin is issued. In other words, regular people like you and I could give someone a challenge coin, but the meaning of meritorious service to the unit would be invalidated. I had to find a Marine, specifically an injured Marine, to present those coins on behalf of the IMSFF, Fandom Rocks, and the fandom in general. I tried to find ways to arrange this, such as having a Wounded Warrior attend Creation LA with someone from Fandom Rocks, but it just was not meant to be, mainly because I am the Fandom Rocks contact closest to LA, and could not make the trip for financial reasons.

Enter Bobby. Or, rather, his wonderful alter ego, Jim Beaver.

I have Jim on my friend's list on my personal MySpace account, and in a burst of inspiration, messaged him to ask for assistance. I was hoping he would be willing to present the coins for us, or barring that, might know some other way in which we could arrange a presentation. Having seen him mention his years of service in the Marine Corps, I knew that he would understand the significance of the coins.

I explained that I needed a Marine to present the coins. I offered up every bit of qualification and verification that I could offer him, including contact information for the IMSFF, Fandom Rocks, etc., as I wanted to assure Jim of our validity and good intentions. Jim messaged me back after verifying the information I provided and agreed to present the coins for us when he returned to Vancouver to film the final episodes of Season Three.

I shipped the coins (below) to Jim several weeks ago, along with a poster Dana designed with the names of all the Fandom Rocks contributors on it. On his return to Los Angeles, Jim was gracious enough to share this picture from the set, which was taken when the coins were presented to Jared and Jensen.

In Jim's own words:

I explained to Jared and Jensen, separately, what the medallions represented and the nature of the organizations (IMSFF and Fandom Rocks) behind the presentation. I took special pains to make it clear that I had investigated the credentials of the organizations in order to avoid any embarrassment such as happened in Chicago. I explained to them that, ideally, the medallions should be presented by an injured/wounded Marine and that while I was not an injured Marine, I hoped that my status as a Marine veteran of the Vietnam War was sufficient to the purpose. They both indicated that they were very touched by the award and by the interest that our troops in the Middle East have shown in Supernatural. Later, we took a break from shooting a scene for the season finale of the show and had one of our camera operators record the presentation on my camera. (So the slightly soft focus is my camera's fault, not Brad's! He's a great camera operator.) And then we all went back to work.

As I say, I think the guys were very pleased and honored.

This picture is exclusive to Fandom Rocks, as it was presented to us by Jim himself. Please do not repost this picture in any other groups or take it for fan art. If you would like to share this information, we would greatly appreciate links back to this post instead as we know not everyone has added Fandom Rocks to their friends' list.

We would like to give special thanks to Angela at the IMSFF, for her assistance and her work with the Wounded Warriors, and to Jim for taking the time and effort to assist Fandom Rocks and the IMSFF with the challenge coin presentation. We would also like to thank everyone in the fandom, most especially to the contributors of Fandom Rocks. All of your efforts gave us the reason and ability to make this happen. It has truly taken the effort and energy of an entire group of people to accomplish this goal, and to accomplish it so successfully. I cannot envision a more fitting moment for this presentation to cap off our campaign than during the filming of the finale!

And now.... let's see what we can do with Campaign Three! Onward and upward!

ETA: There seems to be some misunderstanding going around as to what party issued these particular challenge coins. Please note, they are IMSFF coins. The IMSFF supports the Wounded Warrior unit of the USMC, but they are NOT the United States Marine Corps itself. They are a UMSC auxilliary group.

regsitered charity stuff

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:25:12 GMT

Okay, as we have been saying, we are working toward becoming a 501(c)(3) registered organization in the U.S.

So far, we have incorporated as a not-for-profit in the state of Illinois. The fees involved with that were $50.

Then we had to register with the county recorder of deeds. $25 fee.

Then we had to register with the States Attorney General. $15 fee. (Annual reports will also require a $15 fee.)

Or so we thought. It turns out that the information on the site about existing for less than one year applies only to the things we have to report, however, if we have solicited any money at all before registering with the Attorney General, we are considered late. $200 fee.

When/if we go to the IRS to register on the federal level, we know it is a $300 fee.

We also have to write by-laws and/or a constitution for our group.

So! What does this mean to you? What are your suggestions for covering these administrative fees?

We want your donations to go to the charities. We want your donations to be tax-deductible. In order to make both of those things happen we have to be able to cover these fees as well. So far, we have been splitting them between Brande, Rebecca, and I, but there are also the costs of going to events to promote FR, delivering the donations to the charities, printing materials, etc.

Basically, we are looking for ideas. Ideas, fresh brains, volunteers to sit in on chat sessions and email sessions when we have to toss around plans.

On the other hand, if you think all of this effort is not worth it, we can begin the process of dissolution of the corporation. Will the third campaign be successful? Will a fourth? Call me crazy, but personally (speaking for just myself here) I want to know everyone else is still as invested as I am.

(ETA: To be clearer, dissolving the NFP corporation in the state does not mean ending Fandom Rocks. It just means we are no longer moving toward becoming an official NFP.)

Another option is covering the fees (state/federal only) from donations and making it clear when and how much.

Please tell us what you think. We'll take all the comments and work out a plan. If you'd rather email us, we're cool with that as well.

here we go

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 04:25:40 GMT

Okay, it's posted. That makes it official. =)

Here's to a successful third campaign!

Here are some of my fun stats ...

Did you know if each member of this group donated $10, we would be 75% to our goal? If each member of the Facebook group donated $10, too, we'd be at our goal with a little bit extra.

That means skipping two visits to the coffee shop over the next five months.

Or, skipping the movies once.

Or, not buying half of a TV DVD set. ;)

We could really rock this campaign, guys, but we do need you.

2nd SciFi on the Rock convention in St. John's

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:56:29 GMT

Hello all!

I'm a bit late in posting this information but I hope you'll forgive me. This coming weekend, the Holiday Inn here in St. John's, Newfoundland is hosting the second annual SciFi on the Rock convention. There are going to be many guests, including Brian Downey (aka Stanley Tweedle for you Lexx fans), the Vader Party and none other but the original Boba Fett himself - Jeremy Bulloch. ** I'm a Star Wars geek too, what can I say? ** In addition to the guests, there are going to be many workshops (the lightsaber technique workshop drew the biggest crowd last year), talks, Q&As, as well as the games like GeekSurvivor, where the biggest Geek wins!
And yes, there will most likely be a showdown between the Trekkies and Jedis. :)

On top of all of this, yours truly will be there, manning the table all on her lonesome, promoting the fantasticness that is Fandom Rocks and our show Supernatural. So if you're in the area, come down and say hello or just ask everyone if they're Rebecca until someone says yes. Last clue: I'll either be in a P!WT or Zelda shirt.
Don't be shy for the love of God or else I'll end up spending two days from 9-5 studying for the MCAT and can I just say, "Sometimes procrastination is a welcome thing"? :D

For all the particulars and a bit more, check out the official website here.

If you don't need particular particulars, here are the dates, times and the place:
April 19-20;
9am - 6pm;
Holiday Inn, Portugal Cove Rd, St. John's, NL

Visiting Lawrence (again)

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:29:04 GMT

(I am on the road to Philadelphia, so I will try to keep this short.) =)

On Sunday, I drove from Champaign to Lawrence to participate in the St. Patrick's Day parade with the Lawrence Humane Society and present them with our check from the second campaign. While in town, I stopped by Target and picked up two dozen or so travel-sized bathroom items (deodorant, sunblock, toothpaste, etc.) to drop at the community shelter from our first campaign. Loring, the director, was not in the office yet on Monday morning, so I left the donation with a note. It will be good to keep in touch with them over the next year as they work toward funding for a new building/location.

Late Sunday night, I sent an order to Kinko's for 20 sheets of our bookmark. I had three bags of Starburst candies to tape to 100 bookmarks for the parade. We handed them all out within the first 5 blocks, but I am getting ahead of myself.

First, we stood in the drizzling rain for an hour, finishing the float, waiting, waiting, and waiting. Then we walked in the parade for 20-minutes, handed out all of the bookmarks, and were completely soaked by the end. My fingers are crossed that at least a few of those bookmarks made it into the hands of a new viewer.

When we went back to the humane society, I presented Midge with the check and took a photo with the staff who were on hand. We did a video tour of the shelter, and I will have that on the web site as soon as I get back home and can edit everything together.

The renovation/expansion completed last fall at the humane society had a $600,000 loan. They have paid it down, roughly, to the last $120,000. With our donation and other fundraisers, they hope to have it paid off this year.

Unfortunately, the plaque was not ready when I was there, but Midge promised to take a photo and send it our way when it was done. It will go in a stainless steel sleeve that you see along the front of the kennels for visitors to see in the future.

After the day's activities, we grabbed a quick bite to eat with Midge and her husband, Mark, who also helps at the shelter. The most interesting part of the trip was to learn some of the history of the shelter - how it used to have a 90%+ euthanasia rate, how the community used to view it negatively - and to know it has been turned around so completely and resulted in positives in the community and statewide in the last 12 years.

The shelter is a "no kill" shelter, and the expansion specifically allows them to not euthanize due to space issues. One of the plans for the near future is to create a cat enclosure that is outdoors - a screened sunporch for the cats!

It was nice to visit Lawrence again, despite the rain, and I am really glad to know the staff of the Lawrence Humane Society are taking care of the animals in their community because they do it for the love of the animals which means every animal will get the love and care and home they need and deserve.

Here is my assembly line at Kinko's on Monday morning.

There was a frame on the wall with various adoptees. This is Sam saying "Dean!"

Here is the float, still getting the finishing touches.

Many people took it for Scoobie Doo. Of course, we were behind a VW van that looked mysteriously like the Mystery Machine, so who can blame them.

You can tell from the tired faces (and rain and mud) that we took this after the parade.

Brande's Visit to the IMSFF

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:16:36 GMT

This is basically a recap of my personal post, as I tend to add some more personal details there.

I drove down to my parents' place in Orange County from my house in Northern CA on Friday, about 9 hours' drive. Saturday morning, I picked up ilovesnat the train station near my parents' house as she came in from LA to join me. My father, a veteran Marine, my mother, my boys, Lissie and I were all planning to be there for the handoff.

The drive to Oceanside was very short and we actually were a bit early, so we killed some time outside the gates of Camp Pendleton. Once we were through the gates, we followed my parents (who were in a second car) as my dad used to be stationed at Pendleton and knows the base layout. It's a very good thing as the Wounded Warrior Center is tucked away in a fairly secluded section of the base, just off the lake. The scenery was lovely and I wish we'd been able to take pictures, but due to Sec Regs we could not.

The IMSFF location is not just offices, as I previously thought. It is actually a 26-bed rehabilitation facility for Marines too injured to return to their regular unit, but not injured enough to require hospitalization. After transfer to the Wounded Warrior unit, they can continue with physiotherapy, meet with counselors, etc. About 50% are rehabilitated enough to return to their regular unit. Those that are unable to return to their unit and are scheduled for a medical discharge are then scheduled to work with counselors who assist them with the transition to civilian life. They also receive assistance with PTSD and other psychological issues related to their experiences and injuries.

We did not see the private quarters as they are in a separate wing of the building, but we were told it's very much like private hospital rooms with 1-2 beds per room. They are currently working on expanding into a three story facility to further separate the living quarters from the offices and communal rooms.

We were met by the duty officer, who is a member of the WW unit himself. He logged us in and went to find Angela, our contact with the IMSFF. Angela was very excited to see us, and we were taken on the tour by the duty officer and Angela. The Marines in the unit have their own kitchen, though they do not have a full kitchen (no stove or oven) due to fire regulations. From there, they are welcome to make their own meals or eat something they've picked up.

Colorful paintings of soldiers in silhouette line the hallway, each donated by the artist.

There is a game room off to one side, which is stocked with flat screen tvs and game systems from previous donors. There, they can play on several game systems including PS and XBox. The rec room is across the hall, and "the guys" gather there each evening to watch TV or a movies. That room also contains several computers, so the Marines can check their email, etc. They have some game tables, a modest library of donated books and CDs, etc. (Note: I'm working with hanncollof Operation: Winchester to get DVD box sets and other donations for the rec room.)

Tucked back into the corner is the IMSFF office itself. Amazingly, this group has donated $18 million to Marine families since its inception a few years ago - all run by a group of 10 full and part time employees and some volunteers. It began with a nurse at the base hospital who often saw the families of injured Marines sleeping in the waiting room chairs or even in their cars while they visited their loved ones, not having enough money to pay for hotels and such.

The center covers everything west of the Mississippi River and is run in a building that used to be the Officer's Club. That should give you an idea how well they have used the space they have alloted. I was completely amazed at the level of organization and dedication I saw.

As to why the duty officer was there: He was barely old enough to drink - he MIGHT be 21 at the oldest - and will receive a medical discharge after being shot up by a sniper in Iraq, including at least one round which grazed his face and left him with permanent scars on his cheek. All of his friends, his entire unit, shipped BACK to Iraq two weeks ago without him. One of his buddies is also in the WW unit awaiting medical discharge - he came home missing a hand.

I don't think unless you've experienced it and listened to their stories that you get the full impact of what something like this rehabilitation and assistance program means. Just watching my dad ask questions and be pleased with the responses and amount of information he got back was astonishing. He said several times how much he wished something like the IMSFF had existed when he was in the hospital on base for six months recovering from his own injuries.

At the presentation of the check, Angela gave me a certificate for Fandom Rocks to thank them for their donation. They'll be updating their site with information about our donation later - their webmaster is a volunteer so it's dependant on his/her schedule as well.

As we left, Angela gave us several IMSFF shirts, including one extra. If I can manage it this month, that shirt will go with me to convention for signatures and then be donated to FR for auction.

In any respect, it was a good trip. The IMSFF is an incredible organization, and while my work with them for FR is done for now, I can fully see myself being involved with them on a personal level for a very long time to come.

I have some other pictures from the various cameras that we had. I'll try to add them as I get a hold of them.

This is Angela and I during the actual presentation of the check from Fandom Rocks, in the amount of $1,175.00. If you look, the certificate the IMSFF presented in return is in her hands. This is a portion of the rec room at the Wounded Warrior Center.

This is the certificate. The original is currently sitting in an acid-free folder in my desk until I can get it matted and framed. The IMSFF logo in the center was designed by an injured Marine and is also featured in relief on their challenge coins (which I mentioned in my personal post.)

Many thanks again to Angela for her time this weekend, and her dedication. Thanks also to all the Marines in the Wounded Warrior unit, as well as their brothers and sisters in arms worldwide for their service.

on my way ...

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:31:14 GMT

Okay, after attempts to post this via LJTxt, mobile posting, blah blah blah, I am making a pitstop for grub and found a Quizno's with free wireless. Yay!

I am on my way to Lawrence and should get there around 5PM their time. Plans for tonight include Target, Kinko's, and the community shelter. I am hoping to find some clearanced items at Target to donate to the shelter. Why Kinko's, you ask? We get to walk in the parade with the LHS tomorrow, and I have candy to throw. I want to tape a FR bookmark to the candy. I already have a design from Chicago, but I want to add information on the return of SPN episodes. Ideas?

=)

I will check email and send in the order tonight so I can pick it up ASAP in the morning.

Back to the road!

ETA: I'm here! We've had food, gone to Target, and I am getting the bookmark ready. How does this sound for on the back?

Did you know fans of the television series Supernatural
have donated over $2,500 to the Lawrence community?
Discover their show when it returns April 3rd on the CW.
Watch episodes online now at www.cwtv.com/shows/supernatural.
Learn about their fundraising efforts and charities at
www.fandom-rocks.com.

road trip!

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 21:36:08 GMT

As I type, I believe Brande is well on her way to visit the IMSFF. She will be delivering the donation tomorrow. Hopefully there will be pictures.

Myself, I am heading to Lawrence again to visit the Humane Society on Monday. Travel day is Sunday, so if anyone wants to head that way, too, that'd be awesome! I may have enough time to check-in with our friends at the shelter, too. It would be great to see how they are doing.

Don't forget the poll on the web site closes tomorrow!

If you have questions, don't by shy, just ask!

Lawrence Humane Society visit

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:36:16 GMT

Heads up! I am aiming to go to the Lawrence Humane Society on Monday, March 17. They will be participating in the local St. Patrick's Day parade, and I am hoping to get video (or at least pictures) of the parade and facilities while I am there.

In case you missed it, LHS is placing a plaque in their building for Fandom Rocks due to our donation. We have the opportunity to contribute to the text that will appear on the plaque. The standard is about 4 lines - 2 larger font, 2 smaller font. Let's have some ideas! I want to send our choice ASAP so the plaque can be on display when I deliver the donation. =D

KICK-OFF IDEAS
Fandom Rocks
Supernatural Fandom Campaigns for Charity
In support of the work, energy, and love
the Lawrence Humane Society provides.

Fandom Rocks
March 1, 2008
Fans of the CW's Supernatural applaud
the Lawrence Humane Society.

Toss out any and all ideas! I will edit the post as we fine tune them.

ETA: There is an update on the web site, and I am sending it to the announcement list in just a few minutes ...

ETA #2: I sent the following to LHS because it seemed like the idea of the date, show mention, and work/energy/love was what people liked, and their director said it would fit no problem!

Fandom Rocks
March 1, 2008
From fans of the CW's Supernatural,
in support of the work, energy, and love you provide.

Vote! And you know... updates and stuff...

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 04:30:34 GMT

No, not for president, although that's coming up soon enough for the Americans in the crowd....

Vote for your chosen charities!

As of this moment, there are 3 charities currently in the lead (2nd place is a two way tie that we NEED broken!)... so please let us know where YOU want to see YOUR contributions go... Poll closes March 15th so don't forget to vote today!

And while you're there, make sure you check out the links Dana has added to the various upcoming conventions (LA isn't all that far away.....)

In other news:

1. We're currently wrapping up Campaign #2, which was a sucess once again! We'll post final figures once we've got them.
2. Brande is currently working with the folks at the Marine Corps Semper Fi Fund to arrange the official "hand-off" of donations. Stay tuned!
3. Dana is working with the Lawrence Humane Society to try to arrange her own hand off of funds, as well as hammer out the details regarding our "donor recognition" permanently at the shelter itself. We'll keep you posted on that too!
4. We are looking at the possibility of meeting up with fans at some of the upcoming conventions. More word on that as plans are finalized.

As always, Fandom Rocks strives to make sure that 100% of your contributions are forwarded to the charities the fans have selected. So while the money will *always* be delivered to the charities at the end of the campaigns, our ability to appear to do so in person is strictly contingent on work and other limitations. :)

In other words - just a reminder (or information for those just joining us): we don't use YOUR money to pay for OUR expenses to deliver funds or attend conventions!