Can't Stop the Serenity

This past weekend, I attended a Can’t Stop the Serenity event in Plainview, NY.  It was a gathering of local Whedon fans to come together, watch some movies and support a great cause.  CSTS is an amazing event that is totally fan-run and fan-supported all over the globe.  It was started five years ago by @theonetruebix, and has grown to 52 cities in five countries.  Every year this event supports Joss Whedon’s charity of choice, Equality Now.  Equality Now is an international women's rights advocacy group that was started by Joss’s mother.  They work for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women around the world. Working with national human rights organizations and individual activists, Equality Now documents violence and discrimination against women and mobilizes international action to support their efforts to stop these human rights abuses.  CSTS also supports Kids Need to Read, who works to create a culture of reading for children by providing inspiring books to underfunded schools, libraries, and literacy programs across the United States, especially those serving disadvantaged children.

This year, my local event was held at Ravenblood Games in Plainview, so it had a unique gamer feel.  Every person there was interested in supporting the cause and also had fun stories to tell about their own geeky experiences. We had a Dr. Horrible Sing-A-Long Blog screening (which included some first-time watchers!) and a screening of the big damn movie, Serenity.  In between was a fundraising auction, in which I scored a replica axe that River uses in the final fight scene in Serenity.  This particular event was a smaller group of people, but the store owner is excited to make it grow, so I am already excited for next year!

CSTS is near and dear to my heart, and this post doesn’t do it justice.  It is not very often that you can attend a fan event that really makes a difference.  If you have a chance to attend one of these events, do it!  It is a great way to meet local geeks and have a great time supporting a great cause!

To learn more check out www.equalitynow.org, www.cantstoptheserenity.com, and www.kidsneedtoread.org.