First, let me say Thank You to all who have donated so far! We almost have enough for them to stay afloat one more month. I'll explain below.
I thought perhaps you'd like to know how much it costs for them to make 1 trip to Pierre, SD to get food at The Feeding. It cost $200 in gas for 2 pickups and 1 horse trailer to drive 4 hours round trip. It cost $900 for the food for a total of $1100, this doesn't include expenses like water and electricity the for Okiciyap food pantry. So they need at least $1200 to $1300 for this to help them help others. Of course we aren't their only source of help but as we all know, money is hard to come by unless you are the 1%.
So, please give what you can.
or mail checks to:
Cindy A. Taylor
Okiciyap
P O Box 172
Isabel, SD 57633-0172
I wrote 3 letters to 3 Indian casinos near where I live on Friday, I'm hoping one will come through for them but we won't know for awhile if they respond. The soonest the letters will reach them will be tomorrow.
Also NMRed's offer for signed copies of books still stands. I was given permission to re-post her comments. It is as follows:
Any George R R Martin fans out there? (11+ / 0-)
I have 5 hardcover (USA) copies of A DANCE WITH DRAGONS in my stash of books I donate to various SF fan charities. (Once a filthy huckster dealer in rare SF collectibles, always a dealer in SF books....)
If any folks are fans of GRRM, you probably know that his book tour in support of ADWD last year was a monster. In some cities, a thousand people turned out to get books signed. There were so many people at the signings, George could only give their books a signature, no personalizations.
Well, I know George, and I've got those 5 copies of ADWD just sitting on the shelves. I'll be seeing him next week. I know him well enough that I can tell him I'm raising money for a food pantry and he'll happily sign those copies for Okiciyap.
So if there's an interest in it, I'm willing to donate those 5 copies of ADWD to this fundraiser.
I'll give to 5 people signed, personalized copies of ADWD if they donate $100 or more to Okiciyap today. Just make the donation, send me via kosmail a copy of your receipt (you can redact some personal info for your privacy if desired), include what name you'd like for the personalization, and the mailing address.
George has 'standard' personalizations he uses, usually something like "Fred - Keep Your Sword Sharp!" or "Sally - May Your Winters Be Short". I think I can get him to do other personalizations like "Mike, hope you have a happy Name Day" or "LeVon, Marcus wants to know if you will marry him?" (no really, he's had a least a couple of people ask him to write a proposal in a book they're giving to their loved one). Just don't make them longer than a short sentence or two. I'll pay shipping costs, and I'll ship them USPS priority next week.
I have a few hard cover copies of the earlier books in the series, USA/Bantam Spectra or Harper CollinsUK/Voyager editions. None of them are first editions or first printings, but are all hardcovers in good condition. Might have a few cover bumps or wrinkles, but overall good enough to sell above the cover price if I was still a dealer at conventions.
I also have a few copies of the new companion cookbook, A FEAST OF ICE & FIRE which was created by the food bloggers of the Inn at the Cross Roads. George's descriptions of foods and feasts in the books are so vivid, you can find yourself wanting lemon cakes and roast auroch for dinner. I haven't met the creators of the cookbook yet, but I can get George's signature on the cookbook if anyone is interested. It's a good looking book, lots of photos and information about creation/origin of the recipes. There is some beauty in donating cookbooks to help the Okiciyap food pantry.
Send me an inquiry and I'll let you know if I have a copy of the title you desire. The same deal; you donate $100 or more to Okiciyap today, I'll send you a copy of the title you want, personalized as desired, next week.
Got a few of the TOR editions of the new WILD CARDS books too, will get them signed by GRRM if desired, and will send them to anyone who wants one and donates $50 to Okiciyap. Titles included are the hardcovers of INSIDE STRAIGHT, BUSTED FLUSH, SUICIDE KINGS. If I'm lucky, I might be able to get a couple of the other New Mexico contributors to the WILD CARDS books to sign as well, but can't promise that will happen.
Please spread the word here at dKos and beyond today of my offer, drop a comment and link into every open thread today and tonight. I'll respond to kosmail inquiries and requests as quickly as I can, but must warn you that I'm suffering a flare-up of tendonitis in my right arm, and have to limit my time on the keyboard, so it might take a day for my response. (The doctor has me using a timer, and when the bell goes ding, I have to stop typing and go do other things for a couple of hours).
I'd really like to clear my shelves of multiple copies of these books I've saved to donate to charities so that Okiciyap can once again fill their shelves with food for their community.
as always, with love, and hope,
Red
Wait, one more offer from Red:
I've been known for getting books and other items signed to donate to charities for years now, and many local writers are very kind and gracious when I turn up with a box of books for them to sign because they know most of the copies they sign, (besides the one copy I keep for myself) are going to be used as fundraisers for good-deed-doing. Well, I've been doing this for so long, I've got more stuff than I have shelf space for, so please, help me empty my shelves so Okiciyap can fill their shelves at the food pantry.
Spread the word here and in other communities where you hang out and there might be people interested in getting some George R R Martin books or games, and check out the books I found on the shelves from other NM SF writers I've listed below.
Here's what I found this afternoon. I've put donation levels on the items so folks can consider what they'd like to receive as thanks for their donation. I do have experience in collecting and selling SF books and other items. I've based these donation levels on my knowledge and checking a few sites like Amazon and eBay to see what the current prices are for some of these items, so in general, the donation levels I'm asking for are in line with what these items are selling for on-line and at conventions from specialist dealers.
GRRM related:
TUF VOYAGING trade edition of Martin collection of stories of a space-roving bio-engineer. A couple of the stories were nominated on final ballots for the Hugo and Nebula awards. I have at least 3 copies of TUF. My brilliant Godskids loved this collection, and it's appropriate for readers age 12 and up. $50
Fantasy Flight board game based on GRRM's series. Have 2 sets of this $50 retail game. My Anglo-Irish Godskids love this game. I can get GRRM to sign the cover of the game box if desired. The game is designed for players from 12 up, and I'm still getting beat bad when I play against my 13 and 14 year old Godskids. $60 (or more!) donation.
I also have two of the now-collectible blu-ray sets of the first season of HBOs series GAME OF THRONES I'm willing to part with for $75 each to Okiciyap. This is the version with Sean Bean on the cover, and GW Bush's head on a spike on the wall of the Red Keep. I can get GRRM's signature on the cardboard cover. No room for a personalization.
I do have hardcovers of A GAME OF THRONES, A CLASH OF KINGS, A STORM OF SWORDS and A FEAST FOR CROWS.Check with me to see if I still have a copy of the title you want. These books have had multiple printings, and there's differences in each dust jacket's design. Can't be specific on which title I have in which dust jacket/edition, would take too long! So it's bit of random luck on what edition you'd get. Yes, I can get these signed by GRRM next week. $75 each.
This year's ASoI&F calendar, artwork by John Picacio. John is a Hugo nominee in the Best Professional Artist category. Signed by GRRM and JP. No personalization possible. I have only 2 of these; the artwork is gorgeous. $35 donation.
I also have at least 1 hardcover copy of:
Melinda Snodgrass' THE EDGE OF REASON, I really love this novel, I wish more people had a chance to read it, so make a donation and read it yourself! $30
Ian Tregillis' BITTER SEEDS - Tregillis's first novel had a very small print run, and the novel is damn fine. Could be a good collectible as Tregillis' career grows. $40
The WILD CARDS books I mentioned in my earlier comment, INSIDE STRAIGHT, BUSTED FLUSH, SUICIDE KINGS. Great covers by Hugo-nominated Michael Komarck. Any one of the three titles for $25, all three for $60. GRRM edited all of them, has a story in the first of the new WC series published by TOR. I can get GRRM and Snodgrass to sign any of them, will try to get other sigs within the next week if anyone is interested in them, but can't promise until I see who turns up at the local SF event next week. I really enjoy the WC series, it's the longest running shared world SF series, 25 years now, and the contributors over the years include people like Roger Zelazny, Carrie Vaughn, and Daniel Abraham. I've heard that Melinda Snodgrass is working on an original WILD CARDS script for a new production company.
Speaking of Daniel Abraham, I have 1 hard cover copy of his first SF novel, A SHADOW IN SUMMER, first printing. This should also be collectible in the long run. $50
And I have 2 copies of LEVIATHAN WAKES, the first book in the new SF space-opera series he's writing with Ty Franck under the name 'James S A Corey', and 2 copies of the second book, CALIBAN'S WAR. LW is on the final ballot for the Best Novel Hugo award, and came in second to China Meville in the Locus awards. Would take a couple of weeks to get both Daniel and Ty's signatures on those, since I'll have to go to Albuquerque and visit both of them if they don't turn up at the event next week where I know I'll see GRRM. Trade paperbacks, big hefty trade paperbacks! $40 each.
Anyone who does a followup diary to keep this fundraiser going for a few days is welcome to paste my offers into the main body of the diary until I run out of stuff or we hit the highest goal that the Okiciyap needs. I've kept the text and links of this comment pasted into a file, so if anyone needs it for a diary let me know and I"ll send it on.
Thanks everyone,
SD
6:47 PM PT: Wow. Thank you. We went from 7 to 10% today. Plus the folks like me who need to wait for payday. I feel hopeful we won't let them down.