By Denise Gary
Photos by Bruce Matsunaga, Shelby McBride, and Phoenix Comicon
What a geekrageous time we had at Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest 2015! Yes, we make up our own words about Phoenix Comicon, because no ordinary words will suffice. Taking place at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Kids Need to Read “worked” the weekend away to raise funds for Kids Need to Read (seemed like play, honestly).
Phoenix Comicon and Blue Ribbon Army conducted their own fundraisers for our organization during the convention, and many other people contributed time and products to help KNTR in support of children’s literacy.
Phoenix Comicon sponsored and hosted “Pictures with Nerdy St. Nick,” raising $672 in photo print sales, which was in addition to donations we collected at the table. Various cosplaying groups provided costumed Nerd-Clauses, include Santa Trooper, Joker Claus, Harley Quinn Claus, Bat Claus, and Captain Ameri-Claus. We are talking pure sweetness here!
Thanks so much to the photographers and Nerd-Clauses who worked so very hard on KNTR’s behalf, and Phoenix Comicon for providing the set-up, elves, photographers, and photo printing! You can find all of the Nerdy St. Nick pictures at Phoenix Comicon’s Flickr page.
KNTR handed out Highlights magazines and geeky read buttons to all of the children who visited Nerdy St. Nick or our booth. (Thanks to Highlights for Children for their continuing support of Kids Need to Read!)
On Saturday evening, Blue Ribbon Army presented “Fan Fest After Dark” at the Glendale Renaissance Hotel! This party raised $3,900 for KNTR, with folks enjoying music, dancing, drinks, and a winter-themed photo set! The “BRA” gave their all for KNTR and the event was wonderfully successful! KNTR also raised $425 in Blue Ribbon Army lanyard and badge ribbon sales, which were donated to us to sell at our booths. Thanks so much to Matt and Jen Hinds, and the entire Blue Ribbon Army for choosing to support Kids Need to Read! We could not be more grateful!
Thanks also to Hip Pocket Creations for donating your highly coveted, handmade Geeksages for folks to wear to Fan Fest After Dark. They were absolutely beautiful and sold out so quickly!
The Kids Need to Read booth, generously provided by Phoenix Comicon, was full of treasures, including high-quality art prints, literary Danger signs, KNTR 2016 calendar, and many other literacy-related items for sale.
There were also fantastic Geek raffles, thanks to the selfless donations of Ballet Arizona, BB&G Rocky Horror Troupe, Dana’s Paper Flowers, Fan Art by DTK, Angela Fox, Less Ego More Love, Shelby McBride, Jessica Payne, Red Nebula Studios, The Swan and Arrow, Very Awesome Girls Phoenix, and Virtually Vintage Studios. These were great items causing many oos and ahs! Thanks to all of you for contributing your artistic talents!
KNTR’s Adopt-a-Reading Buddy project was a big success, with kids purchasing three stuffed reading buddies for $3, one to keep for themselves, and two for Kids Need to Read to give to children who need someone to read with at home. It was a terrific way to share the importance of reading at home, as well as an exercise in philanthropy for the children. We thank MROsupply for sponsoring the cost of the buddies.
One sweet little girl opened up her wallet and placed one coin on the table at a time, asking after each nickel or dime if she had reached the required $3. After about 50 cents, she was told she had indeed reached the amount necessary to help the other children. She smiled quite satisfied and innocently left, having fulfilled her sense of responsibility and obtaining a buddy for herself, too.
Several folks provided $3 here and there to cover the cost should any child at Fan Fest want one of the buddies, but could not buy one. Indeed, this did occur a few times, but each of these children left with their own reading buddy due to the Good Samaritans. Besides raising funds for additional reading buddies, the critters brought so much joy to the children who received them.
For Fan Fest goers who purchased presents at the event, but lacked acceptable gift wrapping skills, KNTR hosted a Geektastic Gift Wrapping for Donations booth complete with geeky papers!
Fortunately, many KNTR volunteers love wrapping presents … acceptable skills or not. Wrap, our cheerful elves did!
Volunteer Jessica Payne made fantastic comic and book bows to top off the presents!
The KNTR elves provided mighty fine gift wrapping, all for a donation to their favorite cause—children’s literacy!
We were joined for a time by Howler, the easily distracted Arizona Coyotes mascot. He was a bit of a troublemaker at the gift wrapping booth, attempting to wrap his ear, paw, tail, and a flyer.
He traveled about the convention floor, wreaking hilarious havoc and posing for pictures.
All in all, $6969 was raised for KNTR at Fan Fest through the goodwill of the convention staff, volunteers, participants and attendees. Throughout the year 2015, Phoenix Comicon’s support resulted in a total of $36,461 for Kids Need to Read! That is an incredible amount of funding! We thank you, Phoenix Comicon, for standing with Kids Need to Read from our earliest days, assisting our organization with the support we have needed to provide for children lacking access to books and other reading resources. It is an enormous blessing to be one of your partners!
Related Info: First 100 Phoenix Comicon 2016 Fast Passes Benefit KNTR 100%
Related Blog: Geek Power-up: Phoenix Comicon Raises $29,493 for KNTR
