WhedonFest 2010: A “Can’t Stop The Serenity” Weekend Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact information:

Cynthia O’Malley, Chair
Cindy@whedonitesunited.com

Joe Jordan, Vice-chair
Joe@whedonitesunited.com

WHEDONFEST 2010: A “CAN’T STOP THE SERENITY” WEEKEND EVENT

Joss Whedon fans reunite in Kentucky to raise money for Can’t Stop the Serenity Charity.

Whedonites United present their second annual Whedonfest, a weekend-long convention, to be held August 6-8 at Barefoot Republic in Scottsville, KY. All proceeds will be donated to charities designated by the Can’t the Stop the Serenity Global organization or Whedonites United.

Joss Whedon fans have repeatedly done the unlikely: turning a failed movie into a long-running and much-loved TV series (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), turning a canceled series into a movie destined to become a cult classic (Serenity), and then turning repeat screenings of that movie into a series of worldwide popular fund-raising events to keep the fandom alive while promoting gender equality (Can’t Stop the Serenity).

In August of 2009, Whedonites United held their first-ever weekend-long convention in Smyrna, TN, as part of a global network of Can’t Stop the Serenity events. With the help of its all-volunteer staff, WhedonFest 2009 raised more than $2,000 dollars for charity. Whedon fans from across the Southeast gathered to enjoy panels, costume contests and other fun events, culminating with the traditional CSTS screening of Serenity on Sunday afternoon. This year promises to be even better!

WhedonFest is scheduled for August 6-8. Designed to welcome fans of all Whedon’s work, the programming will cover Buffy, Firefly, Angel, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, and Dollhouse. Events include panel discussions and activity workshops, a “Shindig” with costume contest, a raffle and auction, and more! As a new addition this year, attendees can look forward to screenings of two Whedon-related fan works: The Streamy-award-nominated Horrible Turn, and the classic Browncoat documentary Done the Impossible.

WhedonFest will be held at Barefoot Republic, near Scottsville, KY. This campground, with treehouse-style cabins, brings comfortable, handicapped-accessible accommodations to a natural setting reminiscent of those seen on Firefly. The site has a paintball field (perfect for the planned re-enactment of the Battle of Serenity Valley) and river access for those interested in kayaking or canoeing.

All proceeds from this event will go to charity. All Can’t Stop the Serenity Events donate a minimum of 75% to Equality Now as the globally supported charity. Events are allowed to allocate the remainder for local charities if desired. WhedonFest will donate 15% of the proceeds to Kids Need to Read, an organization co-founded by P.J. Haarsma and Firefly‘s own Nathan Fillion, and 10% to New Leash on Life, a local animal welfare organization.

Links:
http://www.whedonitesunited.com
http://twitter.com/whedonitesunite
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=68054372607
http://www.cantstoptheserenity.com/