Somewhere in the Arizona desert, or perhaps in a coffee shop in urban Phoenix, a group of science fiction fans gather once a month to dissect and discuss one of their favorite television shows of all time.
These gatherings are called “shindigs,” and these fans are called “Browncoats.” The show they come together to applaud is none other than Joss Whedon’s Firefly. That’s a worthy pastime in and of itself, but their meetings serve a higher purpose, too. These fans gather to network and to socialize, and they work toward the greater good at the same time.
Arizona Browncoats, like all Firefly fan clubs, is a charity organization. The state of Arizona has recognized them as such with official non-profit status since 2007.
Since one of KNTR’s co-founders is none other than Nathan Fillion, who played the rogue captain Malcolm Reynolds on Firefly, The Kids Need to Read Foundation is lucky enough to have many Browncoats on our side. We have been blessed many times by the seemingly boundless generosity of Browncoats, and our recent calendar project is no exception to this.
Our very first sponsor for the Kids Need to Read calendar was the Arizona Browncoats. They have donated $300 to our cause, and that’s certainly nothing to scoff at! This statement from the group shows why they chose to donate to KNTR:
The Arizona Browncoats, originally united in their love of Joss Whedon’s television show Firefly and its movie sequel Serenity, are dedicated to the promotion and support of causes for unity and equality among all people. The Arizona Browncoats stand behind KNTR’s belief that literacy is often the only light to success for disadvantaged children and we applaud KNTR’s efforts to engage children from all walks of life into the world of reading.
What a perfect testament to the work that Kids Need to Read is doing! Thank you Arizona Browncoats – both for your kind words and for your calendar sponsorship!
– This blog was written by volunteer blogger Laura McConnell.
