Success!

Tonight was fantastic. We had 147 attendees and raised approximately $1300 for Equality Now (official number once I'm not too tired to count). Pictures wil be up soon as well.

For those who didn't get to attend but would still like to contribute, you can donate directly through the Equality Now website. Please put the code SNEN-MKE on the line for "where did you hear about us" so that they know it's related to the Milwaukee Serenity screening (please check out one of the earlier posts for a link to the donation page).

Thank you to everyone who came / donated / helped spread the word / gave feedback on flyers and programs.

Prizes, silent auction, and more

It's hard to believe it's the 22nd already, but in less than 20 hours we'll be watching Serenity again and raising money for Equality Now.

Items up for bid in silent auction:
Two sterling silver pendants donated by DragonWeave Jewelry, 'Browncoat' and 'Serenity' kanji
A family four-pack of games: Blink, Wheedle, Qwitch, and Swap donated by Board Game Barrister
A $25 gift certificate to Lotus Chinese Restaurant
A Juggernaut (X-Men) bust and a $50 gift certificate to Collector's Edge Comics
and an AUTOGRAPHED Firefly soundtrack! donated by Greg Edmonson

Items for sale (for the most part, these are listed at half of the retail price)
Finding Serenity (book) $10 donated by Titan Books
Serenity RPG (Roleplaying Game) donated by Game Universe
Browncoat Bracelet, donated by Wash-O-Saurus.com $2
Limited Edition T-Shirts from BlueSunShirts.com
& more!

Door prizes
Serenity RPG, DragonWeave pendant of 'Firefly', Pizza Shuttle gift certificate, buttons, Browncoat bracelet, & more.


REMINDER: This event is being held tonight at 7:30pm at the Showtime Cinema.
8910 S. 102nd Street Franklin, WI
ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO EQUALITY NOW.

Advance ticket troubles?

A few people have written to me about the fact that the showing isn't listed on the Showtime Cinema site. I'm sorry for the confusion, and I've notified the venue - hopefully they will correct that soon. In the meantime, here are some options. You can also purchase the ticket at the theater. Before June 22nd, the ticket will be $10, on June 22nd the ticket is $12.

To purchase online:
Try this link first, and if it doesn't work follow the below instructions.

1. Go to http://www.showtimecinema.com or http://www.bigscreen.com/Marquee.php?theater=8626 (the Showtime page redirects to Bigscreen).
2. Right below the theater name and address and directly above the icons for credit cards there's a tiny link, called Click here to purchase tickets online for this theater. It should take you to the online ticketing page, on readyticket.
3. Select June 22nd from the drop down list.
4. The films should be in alphabetical order. Click on 7:30 under Serenity
5. choose the number of tickets desired (I have no idea why 0 is listed as an option) and enter billing info.

Please note that there's a $1.00 per ticket service charge for purchasing tickets online.

Let me know if you need anything further, and I hope to see yout there!

p.s. If there's any way you can help spread the word about this event before Thursday, I would really appreciate it.

Keep flyin'
Stephanie
Milwaukee Serenity Now / Equality Now Organizer

Unable to attend but still wish to contribute?

Can't make the screening but would still like to support Equality Now?
Visit their contributions form and enter SNEN-MKE where the form asks where you heard about Equality Now. By tracking this code Equality Now will be able to let us know how much money has been generated by our efforts.

Donations are also accepted to offset theater rental fees - the best way is via PayPal to serenitymilwaukee (at) gmail (dot) com, and I also plan on having a donation jar on site. Any funds over and above set up costs will of course be donated to Equality Now.
Does anyone out there know how to make a PayPal donation button?

Info for the Charity Screening of Serenity

Date : Thursday, June 22nd, 2006
Time: 7:30 pm
Theatre: Showtime Cinema
Address: 8910 S. 102nd Street, Franklin, WI Mapquest
Tickets: $10 in advance, $12 at the door.
ON SALE NOW!! Visit http://www.showtimecinema.com (Please note there is a $1.00 service charge per ticket ordered online), go to Showtime Cinema, or contact the event organizer at SerenityMilwaukee AT gmail.com

All proceeds will go to Equality Now.

There will be a few door prizes and a small number of limited edition T-Shirts will be available for purchase. There may be items up for grabs in a silent auction.

Synopsis: A passenger with a deadly secret. Six rebels on the run. An assassin in pursuit. When the renegade crew of Serenity agrees to hide a fugitive on their ship, they find themselves in an action-packed battle between the relentless military might of a totalitarian regime who will destroy anything - or anyone - to get the girl back and the bloodthirsty creatures who roam the uncharted areas of space. But, the greatest danger of all may be on their ship. This is a continuation of the TV series Firefly created by Joss Whedon.

The Campaign: The screening in Milwaukee will be one of 30+ screenings of the movie Serenity around the world, which are occuring on the week leading up to June 23rd. This day is the birthday of creator Joss Whedon, and as a big thank you to the Joss, the fans are organizing charity screenings. The proceeds of these screenings will go to Joss Whedon's favorite charity, Equality Now.

About Equality Now: Equality Now works to end violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world through the mobilization of public pressure.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or want to volunteer, please leave a comment or email me at serenitymilwaukee AT gmail.com

Silent Auction

A couple of the items that have been donated are super-shiny, so I'm trying to work out the logistics for a silent auction.

Costumes - encouraged, but not necessary

Should any Browncoats decide to come in their best garb from the 'Verse, one shall win a copy of Done the Impossible: The Fans' Tale of Firefly and Serenity - A Documentary. In an effort to be fair, the organizers' friends are ineligible for this prize (sorry guys... you can watch my copy when it comes in!) Please, no weapons... and remember that this is a PG-13 show.
If no one comes in costume, it will be included in the door prize drawing.
This prize may not be available the day of the show, but will be awarded as soon as the DVD ships.

Tickets on sale now!

Tickets are on sale now. If that link doesn't work, go to http://www.showtimecinema.com, click on "Click here to purchase tickets online for this theater", then select June 22nd from the drop down list. Please note there is a $1.00 per ticket service fee for purchasing tickets online. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Showtime Cinema box office.

Sponsorships, Prizes, and T-Shirts

There will be a few door prizes. I've picked up some Firefly-related items. Jeremy at http://www.donetheimpossible.com has generously donated their documentary Done the Impossible, although it may be delivered after the event. And Collector's Edge has promised a mystery prize pack. It may not be Firefly-related but it's sure to be good. I'm in the process of contacting other sponsors.

There will be a small number of limited edition T-Shirts (created by BlueSunShirts) available for purchase at the event. The shirts are khaki and screen-printed, with the SN / EN logo on the front and the list of participating cities on the back. The estimated price will be $15 for S-XL, and $18 for 2XL. At this time they are only planning on running as many shirts as are ordered, so if you'd like to secure your T-shirt, please email me (serenitymilwaukee AT gmail.com) with your name and size. (If there's enough demand for this I may set up a PayPal order link for pre-sales.) Proceeds from the T-Shirt sales will also go to Equality Now. The basic logo can be viewed on buttons and other items via CafePress)

If you're interested in helping the fund-raising effort by donating products, donating funds to help defray the cost of the theater rental, creating flyers, or in any other way, please let me know.

Just what is this all about, anyway?

Welcome Browncoats, new Firefly fans, or curious people. This website is devoted to the Milwaukee portion of the worldwide Serenity Now / Equality Now fundraiser. Firefly fans around the world are planning benefit showings of Serenity to take place on or around June 23rd, 2006 ( which are being dubbed Serenity Now / Equality Now). Fans get the benefit of seeing Serenity again in the theater, and Equality Now (or the preferred charity for that particular city's event) gets the benefit of our donations. And if this raises publicity for the show? Even shinier.

If you live in or around the Milwaukee area, you're in the right place. If not, head on over to http://cantstoptheserenity.com, which has a list of the current cities that are in pre-planning. Don't see your city? Check out the FAQ on that page and start organizing one!

About Equality Now:
Founded in 1992, Equality Now works for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women around the world. It's also Joss Whedon's favorite charity.

Why June 23rd?
June 23rd marks the one-year anniversary of the third and final pre-screening of Serenity. It is also creator-director Joss Whedon's birthday. Serenity Now / Equality Now is also intended as a thank you / birthday present to Joss.

Why isn't Milwaukee's event on June 23rd?
It's difficult for cinemas to set aside their normal Friday night schedule, especially during the summer. The price difference between Thursday night and Friday night in Milwaukee venues was significant enough to negatively impact the fundraising effort.