Tag: Charity Page 1 of 2

Charity Auction 2017

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On August 3, 2017

In Charity, Community Service

In 2017, our Charity Auction supported the Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA). The Interstitial Cystitis Association is the only nonprofit charitable organization dedicated solely to improving the quality of healthcare and the lives of people living with interstitial cystitis (IC). IC is a recurring pelvic pain, pressure, or discomfort in the bladder and pelvic region, often associated with urinary frequency (needing to go often) and urgency (feeling a strong need to go). IC can affect anyone. More than 12 million people in the US have IC, including two members of the RavenCon staff.

If you would like to make a donation to the ICA you can do so through this link.

 

Charity Auction 2016

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On August 2, 2017

In Charity, Community Service

2016’s Charity Auction was held in support of the Dialysis Patients Citizens’ Education Center. The Center is dedicated to improving kidney patients’ quality of life and reducing the occurrence of ESRD (end-stage renal disease) through education and by developing awareness of dialysis and kidney disease issues, improving the partnership between patients and caregivers, and developing favorable public policy solutions.

We chose this organization in honor of our good friend and co-conspirator, Ed Pope. Ed passed away on March 18th, a mere six weeks before the convention that he was looking forward to so much. Ed was our friendly Con Suite host—always smiling, always friendly, always positive. His one and only job at the convention was to make people feel welcome. Nobody did it better.

 

Charity Auction 2016

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On March 10, 2017

In Charity, Community Service

In 2016, RavenCon’s Charity Auction supported the Dialysis Patients Citizens Education Center. The Center is dedicated to improving kidney patients’ quality of life and reducing the occurrence of ESRD (end-stage renal disease) through education and by developing awareness of dialysis and kidney disease issues, improving the partnership between patients and caregivers, and developing favorable public policy solutions.

The Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) Education Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the affiliate organization of Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC). Founded in 2012, the Center is led by a board of directors composed of 10 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, including six currently on dialysis and four transplant recipients.

In the opening months of 2016, we lost our good friends Ed Pope and Bud Webster. Our donation to the DPC was made in their names.

 

Charity Auction 2015

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On February 22, 2015

In Charity, Community Service

RavenCon chose the Richmond Animal League (RAL) as 2015’s charity in memory of our late Vice Chair, John Patrick Jones. John was very fond of animals and RavenCon was happy to support one his favorite organizations.

Since 1979, Richmond Animal League has been finding homes for homeless dogs and cats in the Richmond area.

For many years they rented a kennel in Chesterfield County. In 1987 the property was sold to a residential developer and they were asked to leave the facility. In spite of this setback, they continued to care for many needy animals and boarded them at veterinarian offices and foster homes. Their goal was to raise enough money to build a brand new facility.

After seven years of fundraising activities and the generosity of their community, their dreams became a reality! In May 1994, they opened their new kennel near Chesterfield Towne Center. This facility can house up to 30 dogs, and 60 cats and kittens.

Since their facility opened, they have helped thousands of animals. They found homes for over 1,700 animals last year.

Though there is now a small staff of eight full-time employees, RAL has always been led by a volunteer board dedicated to reducing euthanasia rates in their community.

In 2009, they saw the great need for a low-cost, high-volume spay neuter clinic on the south side of the James. A year later, they opened an onsite clinic. The Loving Spay & Neuter Clinic provides low-cost services to municipal shelters, rescue groups, and private pet owners, as well as free services for feral cats. Free spay and neuter services are available for pet owners who meet low-income guidelines.

Their history continues to be written as they grow.

 

Charity Auction 2014

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On June 14, 2014

In Charity, Community Service

RavenCon chose the Foundation Fighting Blindness as 2014’s charity.

The Foundation Fighting Blindness is dedicated to funding innovative research to find preventions, treatments, and cures for inherited retinal degenerative diseases that lead to blindness and affect more than 10 million people in the United States.

The urgent mission of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, Inc. (FFB) is to drive the research that will provide preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration, Usher Syndrome, and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.

Charity Auction 2013

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On June 13, 2013

In Charity, Community Service

RavenCon chose the Huntington’s Disease Society of America for 2013’s Charity Auction beneficiary as a way to honor the memory of an attendee who passed away at the 2012 convention.

In March 2000, the Huntington’s Disease Society of America named the University of Virginia Health System a Center of Excellence for the care of patients with HD and their families. The UVA HD Program was one of the first ten Huntington’s Centers of Excellence in the nation and is the only one in Virginia.

 

Charity Auction 2012

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On June 13, 2012

In Charity, Community Service

The beneficiaries of 2012’s RavenCon charity auction were the American Cancer Society and the National Breast Cancer Foundation. A member of the RavenCon family, Mike Manning, lost his mother, Reba, shortly after the 2011 convention due to undiagnosed breast cancer. We would like to honor her memory and that of everyone close to us that has lost a loved one to cancer.

Thank you for helping us raise $1500 to support cancer research.

 

Charity Auction 2011

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On June 13, 2011

In Charity, Community Service

Commemorative Air Force

The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) was founded to acquire, restore and preserve in flying condition a complete collection of combat aircraft which were flown by all military services of the United States, and selected aircraft of other nations, for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations of Americans.

Much thanks to our donors for making this possible! With their help, we raised $1500 for the CAF.

 

Charity Auction 2010

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On June 13, 2010

In Charity, Community Service

Virginia Aviation Museum

Much thanks to our donors for making this possible! With their help, we raised $1200 for the Virginia Aviation Museum.

The RavenCon “family” lost one of their own in 2009. Vice Chair John Jones and Promotions & Publicity Director/Swagmistress Cheryl Lynn Jones suffered a death in the family; Cheryl’s younger brother Kenneth James Williamson passed away after a short illness at the age of 41.

Kenneth J. Williamson (aka “Boomer” or “Ken-ken”), worked at the first RavenCon hotel, the Doubletree at the Richmond International Airport. His co-workers had never seen anything like a science fiction/fantasy/horror convention before, so, as their “go-to” guy, they asked him what was going on. He said, “Why don’t you ask my sister, she’s over there,” and introduced Cheryl to his crewmates. She answered the best she could even though she wasn’t a committee member yet. The next year John and Cheryl stayed at the Doubletree, and he told his co-workers that they would be there; the restaurant provided them with a fruit plate, the apples carved with the RavenCon logo on them. Boomer and his co-workers did their best to accommodate RavenCon—to this day the Doubletree is the standard to which we hold up other hotels.

Boomer loved trains, planes, automobiles, and teddy bears. He was a member of the USS Chesapeake, a chapter of Starfleet International. He would dress up as a giant teddy bear—Major Ursa—for Chesapeake recruiting functions. Kenneth was also an avid science fiction fan, having attended a few of the area Star Trek cons over the years—some of the Creation Cons in Richmond, Big “E” Con in Norfolk and Shore Leave in Hunt Valley, MD.

Boomer died at Memorial Regional Medical Center on July 29th, 2009. His parents requested that in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the Virginia Aviation Museum, one of his favorite places to go.

The RavenCon committee has selected the Virginia Aviation Museum as the recipient of the 2010 Charity Auction proceeds in his memory.

In 2016, the Virginia Aviation Museum shut its doors but its contents are being held by their parent company, the Science Museum of Virginia. The Aviation Museum’s SR-71 Blackbird is now on display at the Science Museum.

 

Charity Auction 2009

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On June 13, 2009

In Charity, Community Service

The Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia

In honor of the bicentennial of Poe’s birth, RavenCon designated the Edgar Allan Poe Museum as the recipient of the proceeds of RavenCon’s charity auction. Much thanks to our donors for making this possible! With their help, we raised $800 for the Poe Museum.

About the Richmond Poe Museum:

Although Baltimore, Maryland claims him, Edgar Allan Poe spent most of his youth in Richmond. He also has Virginia connections in that he was a student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and stayed at Fort Monroe in Hampton during his short military career.

The Richmond Poe Museum is located on Main Street in the downtown area. “The Old Stone House” is the oldest building in the city. Poe did not live here, but would have seen this house, being that he lived a few blocks away, and his first job, at the Southern Literary Messenger, was also close by.

The museum hosts items from Poe’s life, manuscripts, letters, and memorabilia. Special exhibits throughout the year highlight his career.

 

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