Charity Work

I do a lot of charitable giving, usually for local causes here in Las Vegas. I learned about some of those causes by doing 5K runs all last year. Dean and I are doing more runs this year, starting as the weather cools (in theory). The first, though, is for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. St. Jude’s asks us to fundraise, which I’ve been doing. And now, competitive me, I’m rising in the individual donor ranks. I might crack the top ten! So I figured I’d let you all know. You can give if you’d like.

I’ll be honest: the news has been so bleak these past few years, that giving to places like St. Jude’s, which provides free health care (and support) for sick children and their parents, makes me feel like I’m doing something positive. (For those of you who live outside the U.S., our health care system does not cover everyone, and often the people most in need are the people who really can’t afford it. St Jude’s and places like it are a godsend.) So if you’re feeling kindly, please donate a few dollars. I would really appreciate it.

I will post some pictures of the run itself. I’ll be honest: if it’s too hot that morning, I’m walking the 3 miles. I’ll tell you that too when I report.

Speaking of charities, our Storybundles always include a charity. I’m in a bundle right now called Racing The Clock, which lets you get 10 thriller (sf/f) ebooks for $15. You have the option of donating to our charity when you check out. The charity in this case is AbleGamers.

Here’s how they describe themselves:

AbleGamers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that enables people with disabilities to enjoy the amazing world of video games. In America alone, over 33 million gamers with disabilities need specialized, custom controllers and assistive technology in order to enter the same virtual worlds as everyone else. Since 2006 AbleGamers has enabled thousands of individuals with disabilities to have a greater quality of life by providing these expensive pieces of assistive technology to children, adults and veterans with disabilities who need help overcoming the social isolation being disabled can bring. AbleGamers has helped tens of thousands of people with disabilities through one-on-one consultation and building a customized solution for each individual, tailored to their specific needs.

Finally, on September 13, I’ll be participating in the Pixel Project’s Read For Pixels. The Pixel Project works to stop violence against women. I’m taking part in the big fall fundraiser, which includes author readings, panel discussions, and giveaways. The Read For Pixels starts on September 1. Here’s how they describe the month-long event:

“Read For Pixels” 2019 (Fall Edition) YouTube livestream sessions will run on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings North American time from September 1^st to September 30th 2019. Each session will feature an author reading from one of their books and discussing women and girls in their books, why they support ending violence against women, and women in the media, geek culture, and popular culture. Each session will also include a live moderated Q&A session for fans and book lovers to ask their favourite authors questions in real time.

Click here to see the entire project, with the names of all the writers who are participating. It’s a good line-up.

Here is the PSA. Feel free to share it.

I hope you give to one or more of these charities. All of these opportunities have their own ticking clocks. The Storybundle ends on September 5. The St Jude Charity Run is on September 14. Read For Pixels runs for the entire month of September. So if you’re going to donate through these three things, you must do so by the deadline.

Thanks for considering this!