First off, I’d like to thank everyone who participated in this year’s Can’t Stop the Serenity – our organizers, volunteers, attendees and sponsors. We faced adversity together and triumphed over it. That makes us mighty, and it makes me proud to call myself a Browncoat. The easy times don’t often show a person’s true character; it’s how people act when met with conflict that shows their real nature. I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to make sure that 2008’s Can’t Stop the Serenity events were not only successful, but beyond our expectations.
Because our 2008 events are now complete, we are working to make sure all our donations make it to Equality Now in a proper and timely fashion. We have confirmed $90,000 in contributions to Equality Now out of a total $100,000 in estimated donations. Considering the film print shortages, as well as the economic state of the world, this amount is an impressive number. I think we should all be proud of what we accomplished and motivated to raise even more for Equality Now in 2009!
A number of cities were able to raise money for local charities as well as Equality Now, which only furthers our entrepreneurial spirit on a community level. The PDX Browncoats raised $2,320.50 for the Women’s Film Initiative. The Mid-South Browncoats were able to raise $148.00 for Kids Need to Read at their first CSTS event! In Tucson , Arizona , the Browncoats gave the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona $462.40. It is an honor to work with all of these fine folks who continue to do such amazing things for charity.
One of my favorite stories to tell people about 2008’s events involves Anne Barringer (the organizer for the 2008 Memphis events), who I am proud to announce will take over as 2009’s Global Organizer, effective immediately. Anne was able to take her love of charity and her belief in the women’s rights movement and harness them into creating an amazing Can’t Stop the Serenity event. She didn’t have a huge support team, but she did have a small group of dedicated helpers and a whole lot of gumption. In less than three months, she not only put together an event that raised over $1,000 for charity, but she’s rekindled the Browncoat fandom in the Mid-South region.
Anne is the type of person to think of every contingency and follow through with her promises. These are some of the qualities that led all of us to know she’d be perfect as our next Global Organizer. When I asked Anne what she wanted to accomplish for 2009, I knew her answer wouldn’t be short and sweet, and believe me when I say that it’s a good thing!
“What I hope to accomplish for 2009,” Anne said, “is to take what Beth and her fellow Global Organizers before her started to fruition. The fact that Beth helped hold this ship together in the face of adversity and a shortage of supplies (film) while helping CSTS continue to mean something has inspired me to follow suit; together we can see this dream grow into more successful events and a louder voice for change. I want to encourage as much participation as I can from all of those who hear the call to do good works, and I’m looking for fresh ideas and enthusiasm to keep CSTS flying high for years to come.”
When I asked Anne what it felt like to be named 2009’s Global Organizer, her response reminded me of one of the most important reasons I joined the Can’t Stop the Serenity movement: camaraderie. There is something to be said about the understanding that even when the road gets rough, you know you are in this together with your Browncoat family.
“There’s a fellowship within the Browncoat community that is all about doing something to help make the world a better place,” Anne said. “I can tell you that joining in that fellowship made a big difference in my life this last year. The fact that I will get to help work with everyone to make it even shinier gives me goosebumps and leaves me kind of breathless.”
I know Anne has set the bar high for 2009. She is ready to hit the ground running. Want to get involved in 2009? Join the Can’t Stop the Can’t Stop the Serenity forums and check out our How To Guide.
And remember, it’s very rewarding to run a CSTS event, but it’s also a lot of work. Thankfully, we’re Browncoats. We’ve already done the impossible and we’ve topped the impossible! Where do we go from here? I’ll let Anne tell us all about 2009, but I know one thing for sure: I can’t wait to get started!
Beth Nelson
2008 Global Organizer
Can’t Stop the Serenity
