Always Keep Aiming
Donation protected
*UPDATED 7/6/17*
I'm thrilled to report my mother's employer is willing to MATCH up to $3,000 for this campaign! He was touched by the effort to help send our younger generations to school, and help create the Felicity of tomorrow!....(maybe even an Oliver of tomorrow, if he doesn't flunk out). One of the main reasons he was able to succeed in his career (in addition to his determination) was through generousity of others, and now he's paying it forward. I'm truly honored to be a part of the generous fandom. For years now, we've been able to generate a HUGE amount of support for various campaigns, whether it's for our own cause, Stephen's, Emily's, or Marc's----just through the power of our fandom. These are the moments that matter and that you should be known for. Thanks for being a part of it!
*UPDATED 6/28/17*
Since this campaign opened, it garnered an INCREDIBLE amount of traction. I'm continuously amazed with the generous and kind people that reside within the fandom. The donation to Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter totaled $1,000!!! Each dollar that was donated also made the shelter eligible to win an additional $10,000 from CanadaHelps for the Great Canadian Giving Challenge! The Coca-Cola Foundation funds remain within the campaign account, as I've received interest from multiple folks who hadn't had the chance to donate the first time around. So, I've reopened the campaign for those who are still interested. Regardless, the amount raised so far is enough to help one little Felicity make their mark on our planet! Thank you so much, and I truly do care about each and every person that I've met through this fandom. We have our bad times, but we sure as heck have our good times <3
____________________________________________________________
When you think of a “fandom”----what do you think of? Do you think of all the negative stereotypes? The positive? Have you ever read or seen anything that portrayed you as misguided or a …..”delusional fanatic?” In today’s world, there really isn’t a healthy word for fandom, so we tend to struggle with that idea as a culture. At the end of the day, we construct our own culture. We decide how we want to be perceived via our actions and dialogue. For me, as long as you have confidence in how you conduct yourself, being apart of this fandom, especially one of this dynamic, can be a phenomenal experience.....if you let it! As someone wise once told me, just..."be"....and good things will follow.
At our roots, regardless of your preferred flavor of fandom life, are people with something in common: influence. We have the power to directly impact the content we see every day. Sure, not always in the same capacity, but enough to help shape the things we collectively enjoy (or dislike) every day. There’s a book called “Playing Fans: Negotiating Fandom and Media in the Digital Age.” Some interesting input from the author struck me: “This appreciation of emotion tends to be viewed negatively in our culture. We think that people that feel ‘too much’ emotion about something we don’t value are ‘crazy’ — think the ‘hysterical fans’ stereotype. But in fan cultures this is becoming more and more valued, and I think it’s migrating to other fandoms as well.” What struck me was, how are we using this emotion? Constructively? Of course, venting constructively to Stephen or the showrunners is one thing, but if we also use this emotion in a fruitful manner, one that really turns some ears our way, why doesn't this negate all the crappy sterotypes that come along with..."feeling"?
If there’s one thing that the Arrow/Olicity fandom excel at, it’s “feeling.” We’re the kind of fandom you’d kill to have backing your show; the kind of buzz generators to be embraced and treasured. One thing that we’ve proven time and time again, is our collective power of nourishing what it “means to be human.” We create a ‘reality from fantasy’---the emotional connection that drives us to support the shared values of our fandom and those around us, whether that’s through supporting campaigns from Stephen Amell, Emily Bett Rickards, or requests for support from Marc Guggenheim. Whatever it is, it is truly astounding what we’re capable of. We also have a tendency to defend what we love, and sometimes, in really unabashedly petty ways. I don't want us to be known as the fandom who is represented by pettiness, because I know just how incredibly generous we are when it comes to the "just because" moments in life.
Some of you came together and sent some pop (that’s right, I said pop) to David after some comments were made at Paleyfest. While I know they absolutely loved all the goodies that came their way, it got me thinking: Our collective power is really something to behold, so why not take full advantage of this, and do something truly sustainable; an act of kindness fueled by our love for Arrow, and OTA in particular. Well, with the help of some folks behind the scenes, I’ve created some opportunities for us to show exactly that power we’re known for.
Now, after all that reading….you just popped open a Coca Cola (not Pepsi, because….ew). Feet kicked up, you turn on Arrow for another Wednesday night of your favorite characters doing what they do best. You love watching OTA. They represent all the things that are important to you in a TV character; respect, admiration, love, and an unconditional commitment to the same goal, and most importantly, to each other. You’ve spent years getting to know them, and you just can’t see yourself watching the show without them. You’ve even found yourself wondering what it would be like to know them in real life. Besides, they feel like they’re actually your friends. You get just as emotionally involved as you would with someone in real life. You want to see them succeed, and be happy. They sacrifice so much to protect and save those around them. So, do you ever wonder......what kind of things they would do in the real world? ........*Our* world?
Unlike Oliver (unless you consider being a douche at the time an obstacle)....Felicity Smoak had to overcome many obstacles to get to college. Donna Smoak did what she could, but in the end, if it wasn't for organizations like the The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, it may not have been possible! The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is one of the largest business-supported, merit-based scholarship programs of its kind in the United States. They support the higher education of deserving high-school seniors through the Coca-Cola Scholars Program with 50 National Coca-Cola Scholarships ($20,000 each) and 200 regional Coca-Cola Scholarships ($10,000 each). The Coca-Cola Two-Year College Scholarship Program also awards 400 scholarships to students attending two-year degree granting institutions in the amount of $1,000 and $2,000 awards.
Coca-Cola Scholars can be found in every corner of the globe, in education and business, nonprofits and the arts, building better machines, creating cures, leading revolutions, dreaming new futures and researching the past in ways that change our tomorrows. This is how the Felicity Smoaks' of tomorrow are being made! Your donation will go directly to the foundation in support of these scholarships. Best of all, this will be an honorary donation in OTA's name! They will receive a certificate of donation (sent to the production office once filming resumes) and their name will forever be etched in the Coca-Cola Foundation's history. You have the chance to help the young adults who will be leading us into the future...or maybe right into the hopefully soon Felicity Smoak-Queen's office. You might even end up working with one in the future.....and then you find out they work with a vigalante and there's a secret super awesome lair in your building.....but that's for another time.
When helping others, there is never a shortage of those in need. When you donate to this campagin, your donation will actually be split for two separate organizations. I thought it would be important to focus on the city that makes Arrow filming possible. Many of the cast and crew call Canada home, so why not show some love?
The Vancouver Rape Relief Society is our final charity. It was founded by Johanna Den Hertog, Janet Torge and Teresa Moore in 1973. In the emerging Vancouver women’s movement, they started the first rape crisis center in Canada when they realized there were no services for women that had been sexually assaulted. The crisis line they started has been answered twenty four hours a day without interruption for each day since. Not only does this center provide services for assault victims, but offer a multitude of other services for women in need. This includes help with Citizenship, Housing, Custody and Access, Divorce Laws, Income issues, Food Politics and so many others.
They now have an international reputation for advancing women’s equality, and toward ending violence against women. While they do receive some funding from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, a majority of their budget is dependent upon donations from the community in order to keep their services available. Every year, over 1400 new women call the crisis line for help, and over 120 women and children receive shelter in their transition house.
Felicity Smoak- our favorite feminist and all around badass, would undoubtedly encourage the support of these women in need. Who knows, maybe in her downtime, she volunteers at a local shelter, especially with working through a male dominated world, she’s never been one to sit back and watch things happen. Like Oliver and Diggle, she’s an advocate for those who can’t otherwise protect themselves. Because I suspect OTA is a bit more cash-strapped than usual (how much is a Mayor’s salary anyway?)----it’s time for their biggest fans to step up to the plate, and be the heroes we admire so much….*without* capes of course. Your donation will go directly to the center and support hundreds of women and children who need help. Best of all, this will be an honorary donation in OTA’s name, just like the Coca Cola Foundation, along with a certificate of donation.
This campaign will stay up for the remainder of the season, so we have the opportunity to *really* make an impact. The current donation goal is set at $8000, however, if I see that we have reached our goal, and there is still more interest in donating, I may increase this goal, so we can show even more love. When it's time to make our donation, I will share all transaction history so you can see exactly when and where your donation has gone. The certificate for the Coca-Cola Foundation donation will be mailed to the production office when filming resumes, but a plaque for both donations to the foundation AND to the Women’s Shelter will be presented to Stephen during HVFF in September. And since he’s such an exceptionally cool dude, I’ll ask him to kindly have this displayed somewhere in the production office. That way, all the hard working cast and crew that dedicate so much time to making Arrow, can see the love that we have for them and all that they do. I understand not everyone is able to contribute, and you should NEVER feel bad about that. It's a tough time for a lot of folks, so just sharing the campaign is something positive you can be a part of! No money necessary! :-)
Thanks for reading and I hope you can support this endeavor!
SUIT UP!
*Disclaimer: This campaign is not endorsed by anyone at WB, CW or any of the actors/crew. It's 100% fandom backed and supported! *
I'm thrilled to report my mother's employer is willing to MATCH up to $3,000 for this campaign! He was touched by the effort to help send our younger generations to school, and help create the Felicity of tomorrow!....(maybe even an Oliver of tomorrow, if he doesn't flunk out). One of the main reasons he was able to succeed in his career (in addition to his determination) was through generousity of others, and now he's paying it forward. I'm truly honored to be a part of the generous fandom. For years now, we've been able to generate a HUGE amount of support for various campaigns, whether it's for our own cause, Stephen's, Emily's, or Marc's----just through the power of our fandom. These are the moments that matter and that you should be known for. Thanks for being a part of it!
*UPDATED 6/28/17*
Since this campaign opened, it garnered an INCREDIBLE amount of traction. I'm continuously amazed with the generous and kind people that reside within the fandom. The donation to Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter totaled $1,000!!! Each dollar that was donated also made the shelter eligible to win an additional $10,000 from CanadaHelps for the Great Canadian Giving Challenge! The Coca-Cola Foundation funds remain within the campaign account, as I've received interest from multiple folks who hadn't had the chance to donate the first time around. So, I've reopened the campaign for those who are still interested. Regardless, the amount raised so far is enough to help one little Felicity make their mark on our planet! Thank you so much, and I truly do care about each and every person that I've met through this fandom. We have our bad times, but we sure as heck have our good times <3
____________________________________________________________
When you think of a “fandom”----what do you think of? Do you think of all the negative stereotypes? The positive? Have you ever read or seen anything that portrayed you as misguided or a …..”delusional fanatic?” In today’s world, there really isn’t a healthy word for fandom, so we tend to struggle with that idea as a culture. At the end of the day, we construct our own culture. We decide how we want to be perceived via our actions and dialogue. For me, as long as you have confidence in how you conduct yourself, being apart of this fandom, especially one of this dynamic, can be a phenomenal experience.....if you let it! As someone wise once told me, just..."be"....and good things will follow.
At our roots, regardless of your preferred flavor of fandom life, are people with something in common: influence. We have the power to directly impact the content we see every day. Sure, not always in the same capacity, but enough to help shape the things we collectively enjoy (or dislike) every day. There’s a book called “Playing Fans: Negotiating Fandom and Media in the Digital Age.” Some interesting input from the author struck me: “This appreciation of emotion tends to be viewed negatively in our culture. We think that people that feel ‘too much’ emotion about something we don’t value are ‘crazy’ — think the ‘hysterical fans’ stereotype. But in fan cultures this is becoming more and more valued, and I think it’s migrating to other fandoms as well.” What struck me was, how are we using this emotion? Constructively? Of course, venting constructively to Stephen or the showrunners is one thing, but if we also use this emotion in a fruitful manner, one that really turns some ears our way, why doesn't this negate all the crappy sterotypes that come along with..."feeling"?
If there’s one thing that the Arrow/Olicity fandom excel at, it’s “feeling.” We’re the kind of fandom you’d kill to have backing your show; the kind of buzz generators to be embraced and treasured. One thing that we’ve proven time and time again, is our collective power of nourishing what it “means to be human.” We create a ‘reality from fantasy’---the emotional connection that drives us to support the shared values of our fandom and those around us, whether that’s through supporting campaigns from Stephen Amell, Emily Bett Rickards, or requests for support from Marc Guggenheim. Whatever it is, it is truly astounding what we’re capable of. We also have a tendency to defend what we love, and sometimes, in really unabashedly petty ways. I don't want us to be known as the fandom who is represented by pettiness, because I know just how incredibly generous we are when it comes to the "just because" moments in life.
Some of you came together and sent some pop (that’s right, I said pop) to David after some comments were made at Paleyfest. While I know they absolutely loved all the goodies that came their way, it got me thinking: Our collective power is really something to behold, so why not take full advantage of this, and do something truly sustainable; an act of kindness fueled by our love for Arrow, and OTA in particular. Well, with the help of some folks behind the scenes, I’ve created some opportunities for us to show exactly that power we’re known for.
Now, after all that reading….you just popped open a Coca Cola (not Pepsi, because….ew). Feet kicked up, you turn on Arrow for another Wednesday night of your favorite characters doing what they do best. You love watching OTA. They represent all the things that are important to you in a TV character; respect, admiration, love, and an unconditional commitment to the same goal, and most importantly, to each other. You’ve spent years getting to know them, and you just can’t see yourself watching the show without them. You’ve even found yourself wondering what it would be like to know them in real life. Besides, they feel like they’re actually your friends. You get just as emotionally involved as you would with someone in real life. You want to see them succeed, and be happy. They sacrifice so much to protect and save those around them. So, do you ever wonder......what kind of things they would do in the real world? ........*Our* world?
Unlike Oliver (unless you consider being a douche at the time an obstacle)....Felicity Smoak had to overcome many obstacles to get to college. Donna Smoak did what she could, but in the end, if it wasn't for organizations like the The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, it may not have been possible! The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is one of the largest business-supported, merit-based scholarship programs of its kind in the United States. They support the higher education of deserving high-school seniors through the Coca-Cola Scholars Program with 50 National Coca-Cola Scholarships ($20,000 each) and 200 regional Coca-Cola Scholarships ($10,000 each). The Coca-Cola Two-Year College Scholarship Program also awards 400 scholarships to students attending two-year degree granting institutions in the amount of $1,000 and $2,000 awards.
Coca-Cola Scholars can be found in every corner of the globe, in education and business, nonprofits and the arts, building better machines, creating cures, leading revolutions, dreaming new futures and researching the past in ways that change our tomorrows. This is how the Felicity Smoaks' of tomorrow are being made! Your donation will go directly to the foundation in support of these scholarships. Best of all, this will be an honorary donation in OTA's name! They will receive a certificate of donation (sent to the production office once filming resumes) and their name will forever be etched in the Coca-Cola Foundation's history. You have the chance to help the young adults who will be leading us into the future...or maybe right into the hopefully soon Felicity Smoak-Queen's office. You might even end up working with one in the future.....and then you find out they work with a vigalante and there's a secret super awesome lair in your building.....but that's for another time.
When helping others, there is never a shortage of those in need. When you donate to this campagin, your donation will actually be split for two separate organizations. I thought it would be important to focus on the city that makes Arrow filming possible. Many of the cast and crew call Canada home, so why not show some love?
The Vancouver Rape Relief Society is our final charity. It was founded by Johanna Den Hertog, Janet Torge and Teresa Moore in 1973. In the emerging Vancouver women’s movement, they started the first rape crisis center in Canada when they realized there were no services for women that had been sexually assaulted. The crisis line they started has been answered twenty four hours a day without interruption for each day since. Not only does this center provide services for assault victims, but offer a multitude of other services for women in need. This includes help with Citizenship, Housing, Custody and Access, Divorce Laws, Income issues, Food Politics and so many others.
They now have an international reputation for advancing women’s equality, and toward ending violence against women. While they do receive some funding from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, a majority of their budget is dependent upon donations from the community in order to keep their services available. Every year, over 1400 new women call the crisis line for help, and over 120 women and children receive shelter in their transition house.
Felicity Smoak- our favorite feminist and all around badass, would undoubtedly encourage the support of these women in need. Who knows, maybe in her downtime, she volunteers at a local shelter, especially with working through a male dominated world, she’s never been one to sit back and watch things happen. Like Oliver and Diggle, she’s an advocate for those who can’t otherwise protect themselves. Because I suspect OTA is a bit more cash-strapped than usual (how much is a Mayor’s salary anyway?)----it’s time for their biggest fans to step up to the plate, and be the heroes we admire so much….*without* capes of course. Your donation will go directly to the center and support hundreds of women and children who need help. Best of all, this will be an honorary donation in OTA’s name, just like the Coca Cola Foundation, along with a certificate of donation.
This campaign will stay up for the remainder of the season, so we have the opportunity to *really* make an impact. The current donation goal is set at $8000, however, if I see that we have reached our goal, and there is still more interest in donating, I may increase this goal, so we can show even more love. When it's time to make our donation, I will share all transaction history so you can see exactly when and where your donation has gone. The certificate for the Coca-Cola Foundation donation will be mailed to the production office when filming resumes, but a plaque for both donations to the foundation AND to the Women’s Shelter will be presented to Stephen during HVFF in September. And since he’s such an exceptionally cool dude, I’ll ask him to kindly have this displayed somewhere in the production office. That way, all the hard working cast and crew that dedicate so much time to making Arrow, can see the love that we have for them and all that they do. I understand not everyone is able to contribute, and you should NEVER feel bad about that. It's a tough time for a lot of folks, so just sharing the campaign is something positive you can be a part of! No money necessary! :-)
Thanks for reading and I hope you can support this endeavor!
SUIT UP!
*Disclaimer: This campaign is not endorsed by anyone at WB, CW or any of the actors/crew. It's 100% fandom backed and supported! *
Organizer
Pepper Dempsey
Organizer
Madison, WI