GFGR 2016 Fundraiser

Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous was formed in the year 2012 and has been growing fast since. Established as a 501c3 non-profit organization, we put on an annual gaming and pop culture convention in the city of Great Falls, Montana in order to raise funds for the community.

Since GFGR’s inception we have established and continued to contribute to a scholarship at the University of Great Falls. In 2015 we also donated to the Sletten Cancer Institute. Our aim is to expand our charitable giving in the coming years by also giving to the Great Falls Food Bank and to the Boys and Girls Club. It is the continuing support of the gaming community of Great Falls and beyond that allows us to do these wonderful things.

We had a home lined up for 2016, but due to the unexpected announcement of our hotel closing in March 2016 we were forced to take on a more expensive venue in order to continue the convention, our main fundraising abilities, and our involvement with our community. Due to this unexpected hit to our budget, we are in need of your help to ensure that we can continue to put on a great convention and continue to donate to the community of Great Falls.

Everyone that donates to this campaign will have their name listed on our website on a special thank you page and their name on a special banner that will be displayed at GFGR2016 in October.


Comments about Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous

GFGR2012 Special Guest of Honor CthulhuBob Lovely (former MisCon chair)

“Starting your own convention, especially in a relatively remote area, is difficult at best, and probably just a bad idea.  Certainly, any Guest of Honor you’re going to get will be scraped from the bottom of the barrel-someone like, well, me.

I hoped the best for these guys while expecting, not the best.  I was happily surprised.  Not only was the turnout good, the event was well run and everyone, as far as I could tell, did their job.  There were several, well attended, panels and a lot of games; GMs had plenty of players and players had plenty of GMs.

Perhaps the best way to gauge such an event is to stroll about looking for smiles and listening for laughter.  By that measure, the first ever Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous was a spectacular success.”
 
GFGR2013 Montana Guest of Honor Greg Schneider (Black Shield Productions)

“I am always excited about the quality of the people and games that make up the Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous.  Being Montana guest of honor was like getting to sit at the head of the family table for a couple of days, with great friends all around.  Every year there is something special that happens there - and it is usually someone new to gaming or new to conventions finding out that they are home.  I look forward to each year.”

GFGR2013 Cosplay Guest of Honor Kristen Collins (http://kmcgeijyutsuka.deviantart.com/)

“Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous is one of the most welcoming and friendly conventions I've been able to be a part of. I've attended two years, and each time it has been like coming home to family. The gaming and special events are fun and well organized, to include the epic GM competition and the incredible cosplay competition! The many panels covering a wide range of gaming and pop culture entertainment topics are also engaging, intimate, and informative. I absolutely cannot wait to be able to visit GFGR again in the future.”

GFGR2013 Special Guest of Honor Owen K.C. Stephens (Rogue Genius Games , Paizo , Green Ronin)

"The Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous was one of my favorite conventions to be a guest for. Everyone was friendly and focused on gaming, events were interesting and well-organized, and the community was creative and upbeat. I look forward to making it back someday soon!"

GFGR2014 Artist Guest of Honor CrimsonVermillion (http://crimsonvermillion.deviantart.com)

"The Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous is Great Falls’ gaming convention, celebrating computer, console, role-playing games, table top games, and board games in Great Falls, Montana. I have had the privilege to attend as a “pro” or professional and as an Artist Guest of Honor thanks to my artwork being featured in the Exploding Aces role-playing game system and in other games and on fantasy book covers. They treated me great and I love this convention. Three days of playing games and hanging out with the best people in Great Falls and from all around Montana and the country. Also there are the returning “pros” who come from across the USA and Canada to talk gaming and play games with good ol’ Montana gamers. The Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous is a chance for like-minded folks to gather and have a great weekend together gaming. I have a fantastic time, every time.  Hope I see you there!”

GFGR2015 Montana co-Guest of Honor Josh Hughes (TeamKAIZEN, Add-A-Tudez)

“In 2015 my brother, Trevor, and I were the Montana Guests of Honor at Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous. It was a tremendous experience and resource for us as we were able to show what we were working on to attendees not only from North Central Montana but also places as far away as Oregon and Tennessee. It's remarkable how, in 5 short years, GFGR has developed a following that pulls in such a national audience. It's also beneficial because many people tend to gravitate towards a specific type of gaming and only learn the lingo/culture from that angle. GFGR is one of those conventions that forces gamers into close proximity so attendees have to grow past their comfort zones. Video gamers learn more about board games, board gamers learn more about cosplay and cosplayers learn more about paper-and-pen role playing games. This helps all attendees realize that they're part of a bigger and inclusive culture and leads to creative people finding supporters (and causes to support) that they may never have initially dreamed of.”