Kids Need to Read is supporting our Browncoat sponsors’ Can’t Stop The Serenity screenings by giving … books, of course! Can’t Stop The Serenity is an annual charity event conducted by Browncoats around the world to raise funds for Equality Now. Each year, movie theaters are rented to put on screenings of writer//director Joss Whedon’s 2005 movie, Serenity. Several of these screenings host cast and crew from Serenity and the TV show that spawned it, Firefly. Auctions and raffles are often conducted to raise extra funds. The money raised is then donated to Equality Now in honor of Mr. Whedon – a fervent supporter of the charity that fights abuse against women. What is a “Browncoat”? These are loyal fans of Firefly/Serenity, their name taken from the TV show and movie. Many of these fans belong to local, organized groups that are known for their generous and charitable nature.
Several Browncoat groups have taken KNTR under their wings and supported us with fundraising projects: Austin Browncoats, California Browncoats, Mid-South Browncoats and NoVA Firefly/Serenity Meetup Group. To say thank you to these groups, Kids Need to Read has given books signed by actor Alan Tudyk and author PJ Haarsma to use in their CSTS auctions and raffles. Signed to “Can’t Stop The Serenity!”, we hope these books will help in these chapters’ fundraising efforts. Thank you, Alan and PJ, for supporting Can’t Stop The Serenity!
But KNTR has not stopped there. Our mission is to give books to kids. To honor our mission and that of Equality Now, Kids Need to Read has offered to give $300 worth of kids’ books to a women’s crisis shelter in each of these chapters’ local areas. We can think of no better way to help children who are caught up in the cycle of abuse than to give them inspiration for their futures through books. These books will be given in honor of these Browncoat chapters for their generosity to our foundation. We appreciate the help each group has given to us and would like to give back to their communities in their names.
We are grateful to the Chicagoland Browncoats, North Texas Browncoats and Raleigh Browncoats as well, for agreeing to give out free KNTR literacy buttons and postcards at their screenings. We hope they will be enjoyed and are thankful for the help in spreading the word about Kids Need to Read! KNTR volunteer Marty Dwyer has donated a signed Terrify’n Space Monkey for auction at the Raleigh screening. How wonderful that this critter will wind up benefiting two charitable causes – first Kids Need to Read, then Equality Now.
We would like to give a shout out to the Mid-South Browncoats for allowing people to make PayPal donations to either Equality Now or KNTR, or split for both, on their site. Not only that, but they are conducting an auction for Kids Need to Read at their screening. What an awesome thing to do! “Awesome Sauce“, as their leader Anne likes to say. (We love the widget on your page too! Thanks!)
To thank ALL of the many Browncoats who support Kids Need to Read, we will be contributing more specially signed books for the Global Can’t Stop The Serenity eBay auctions. Watch for them later.
