Written by Denise Gary
A Thank You from Kids Need to Read
Debbie Brown, Denise Gary, Sherrie Miller, Michael Emerson, and Erin Casey represent at Phoenix Comicon. © Denise Gary
Every now and then, something beautiful happens that reaffirms the belief that honor can still be found within the hearts of many people. When I moved to Phoenix, Arizona a year and a half ago to help Kids Need to Read grow, the very first thing I did was meet with Matt Solberg, Director of Phoenix Comicon. My simple hope was that the convention would consider choosing Kids Need to Read to be their sponsored charity. Matt felt that the two organizations would be an excellent fit and agreed. Now, one must understand that being the sponsored charity of a large pop culture convention usually means that an auction is conducted on the charity’s behalf and the majority of the attendees are for the most part unaware there is a charitable cause represented unless they attend said auction. Such auctions are a kind gesture, to be sure. But if you are Matt Solberg and Programming Director Joe Boudrie, an auction is not nearly enough. What these two gentlemen did for KNTR can hardly be described in a manner that gives it proper justice. They changed the meaning of the words “sponsored charity” forever!
It is not a common occurrence for businessmen to consistently put the needs of a charity before their own organization’s interests. Yet that is what Matt and Joe did throughout the planning and execution of Phoenix Comicon 2010. Over and over, I heard them consider what would be best for KNTR, even when it was clearly not best for Phoenix Comicon. Not only did they provide a venue and assistance in establishing the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom as an annual signature fundraising event at the convention, but they announced our happenings in their newsletter, made sure we received television coverage, dedicated prime real estate to KNTR on the back cover of their program, and most astonishingly, they granted Kids Need to Read the much coveted first two (not one, but two) tables inside the entrance to Exhibitor Hall. No one had any difficulty in locating our foundation and I imagine most left the convention with at least some awareness of our organization. I have never witnessed anything close to this kind of commitment to a charitable institution from any other major pop culture convention in this country. The folks at Phoenix Comicon set the bar extremely high for other large conventions by simply acting upon their incredible integrity.
In addition to Matt Solberg and Joe Boudrie, there were many Phoenix Comicon volunteers who supported KNTR with great enthusiasm. There were times pre-convention that I actually forgot that Phoenix Comicon was not all about Kids Need to Read! That is how great the support was from the convention organizers, as well as other involved community sponsors, such as Bookmans, the Star Wars groups, Arizona Browncoats, and several local comic book stores (Pop Culture Paradise, SpazDog Comics, Hero Comics, and Samurai Comics). All of us at Kids Need to Read extend our deepest thanks to all of these wonderful folks for taking so much interest in the success of our mission to assist disadvantaged children through literacy. We are humbled, honored, and so very lucky to be the sponsored charity of the best pop culture convention in existence!
We are looking forward to next year and all of the possibilities it holds. In the meantime, the magnificent Geek Arch silently awaits Phoenix Comicon 2011!
© Heather Fagan
Geekdom Floods the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom (Phoenix Comicon 2010, Part 1)
Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton Preside over Geeky-anity at the Kids Need to Read Geek Prom (Phoenix Comicon 2010, Part 2)
How to Dress in Style at a Geek Prom! (Phoenix Comicon 2010, Part 3)
Surviving Riley: Yukking it Up for Kids! (Phoenix Comicon 2010, Part 4)
Browncoats, Star Wars Smugglers, Shiny Celebs, and Oooo John Schneider! (Phoenix Comicon 2010, Part 5)
