Sewanee Writers' Conference

I've just been accepted to the 2017 Sewanee Writers' Conference--possibly the most prestigious and competitive professional writing conference in the US! Miraculously, my writing made the cut--out of many hundreds of fiction applicants! Sewanee is attended by some of the finest fiction writers in the world (many of whom are my personal writing heros) as well as agents, editors, publishers... well, suffice it to say, it will be a huge step for me professionally to attend this important conference.  
Thanks to the Tennessee Williams estate, Sewanee participant tuition is paid for,  but not the participant's housing, food and travel costs.  The conference is in July, but I have to come up with $1800 by mid-June for my room and board and gas money. I've just held a garage sale and have made a good start with that, and I've got quite a few possession up on eBay. But several good friends have suggested I try a Go Fund Me campaign, so I thought I'd give it a try!
Most of you know that I came to fiction writing late in life, earned my MFA at the age of 61, have had a couple of short stories published, and have been working on a couple of novels. But like many writers, I have to teach pretty much year round to make ends meet and chip away at my student loan debt, so my writing time becomes seriously diminished. Two weeks of writing with professional feedback, not to mention the inspiration and possible new connections I might obtain at Sewanee would be a dream come true! If you can help me out a little, I would be forever grateful! My acknowledgements list in my first published novel will most definitely include my Go Fund Me friends!