Fans, being crafty folk, don't always auction off donated goods to raise money for their favorite good causes. Sweet Charity is a semi-annual fandom-wide auction. Fans offer up services to write, draw, vid, costume or otherwise create something for the person who bids the most for their service. The proceeds from the March auction benefit RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) which operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline and provides educational and resource materials to women and men on preventing sexual assault and abuse.

Celli Lane, who also runs Fanfic 101, is a participant in this year's Sweet Charity.

"I love the fun of bidding," Lane said, "and the friendly competition. I love making a friend's day by bidding on her. It's exciting to get bid on myself. (I went for almost $80 with my two items combined this year! Not bad!) But absolutely my favorite part was when the auction organizer heard back from RAINN, and they were so incredibly excited to find out how much we'd raised for them. RAINN is a great organization that does a really tough job. I've donated to them before, but it's hard to see how your few dollars here and there really helps. Dropping $10,000+ on them in one shot, though -- it has a visible impact, and it makes me feel like I really did something to help."

The power of that impact shows up over and over. Fans of '90s emo vampire detective series Forever Knight found out that their show had gotten the axe in early 1996. Series star Geraint Wyn Davies had mentioned a favorite charity, and so the fans pooled their resources and poured them towards the Pediatric AIDS Foundation; in three weeks, the FK fans raised over $8,000, donated in the name of their beloved but cancelled series.

Charities favored by the pros often get a big jump by the fans. Stargate fans support cystic fibrosis causes because of actor J.R. Bourne's niece Madison, and the Stuffy Guard began because of Teryl Rothery. Fans of Joss Whedon's work have arranged an annual world-wide event called "Can't Stop the Serenity," which features showings of the "Serenity" movie to benefit Whedon's favorite charity Equality Now, which supports women's causes around the world. In 2007, the event raised over $113,000.

With the ability to reach so many people so quickly, fandom can turn on a dime (so to speak) and help out with a crisis, be it a cancelled show, a needy friend, or helping in the wake of a natural disaster.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina spawned spontaneous outpourings of fannish activity. Fandom Charity – originally founded as a means of connecting fans with skills to offer with fans with cash to donate – went to work, lining up donations for the American Red Cross and other Katrina-related relief efforts. Fans of Justice League Unlimited organized a twenty-four-hour chat-a-thon, raising over $1,000 for the Red Cross.

The Red Cross and other blood-collection agencies often benefit from fannish gatherings such as Dragon*Con, MediaWest, San Diego Comic Con, the Gathering of the Gargoyles, and Arisia (which has bonus Naughty Nurses helping out). The Robert A. Heinlein Society helps organize blood drives at science fiction conventions, and may be available to help out at your next con.  Special note to Blood Ties fans: it couldn't hurt to run some blood drives, take pictures, and send them along to Lifetime.

The amount of work involved with organizing and running a charity event can be staggering. Nordall said, "For the past seven years, the [Stuffy Guard Project Association] has been a constant part of my life. I've literally eaten, slept, and breathed it. As cliché as it sounds, this little grassroots charity has been like my child, more so than anything else has."

So why does she do it?

"I love the sense of commitment," said Nordall, "of actually making a difference in someone else's life. I've seen these kids' faces light up at the sight of all those stuffed animals. Every time the kids came to the presentations, we let them choose stuffies for themselves. It's a riot to watch them pick through the bins of toys, finding what they like. Knowing that I've been a part of what brought those smiles to their faces is perhaps the greatest feeling in the world, and one I find myself wanting to experience over and over again."

So the next time your pet mundane is laughing at your online habits and telling you to get a life, feel free to tell him or her that you and your fandom friends gave your time and energy to raise money for people in need, and that you had a great time doing it.  If they're still laughing, hit 'em with the rubber crutch.

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