Help Fund Gypsy Kitchen for Pennsic

Hello to our Pennsic Family.

Gypsy Diner, for those of you who haven’t had the chance to experience it, is a Midnight Swampy Diner run for the past 6 years by Circus of the Damned.  

Gypsy Diner provides free, hot, late-night food in the Swamp.  We're located just above the nadir of the Great Eastern Highway, a little past Vlad’s, and right next to Ravenspittle’s pirate ship.  Gypsy Diner‘s food supplies are 100% covered by the donations given by the previous year’s patrons and is completely run by volunteer labor.  We have no schedule and we do not post “open hours”.

We just open a little after midnight when the Swamp is thrumming with drum beats, and we get swept into the rhythm of a Great Pennsic Night.   Somewhere between 3 and 5 nights a War, we light our Sky Torch at Deep Dark, drop our ropes, and invite Pennsic into our camp for a late night snack. 

This midnight-star of the Swamp needs some help this year. The Gypsy Kitchen Tent is now unusable as a kitchen, and we need to buy a new one.  Unfortunately, this past year the donations towards the Diner were very low, and will barely cover the costs for 3 nights of the food required for Pennsic 44, let alone a new tent.  I am currently unemployed and I can’t, even temporarily, make up the difference.  I’m sorry, but I really do need to ask for more money to be donated to this cause than folks dropped in the jar during Pennsic 43. 

Circus of the Damned will continue this Pennsic tradition this year, as best as we are able, but we could really use a little extra help to keep it up to the level we’ve built it to in the past few years.

We are asking for those who have enjoyed Gypsy Diner in the past, or plan to visit us during this year’s Pennsic, or just plain want to assist another SCAdian, to please donate to this Go Fund Me. Every dollar helps towards this goal. If you ever have enjoyed, or wanted, a hot meal on a cold, drunken night at Pennsic, please consider donating towards this cause.

Thank you for your support, in whatever amount you can spare. See you at home!

 Love to you all,

Robin Caputo
(aka Raina Iskremorova)

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To read a little about Gypsy Diner and how we contribute to Pennsic, please read Robin's interview at http://citypaper.net/cover/reports-from-a-medieval-war

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Thank you so much, everyone!!!  The intensity of the response to our plea for help has been overwhelming to my husband and I.  This takes so much off of our minds.

All of the money raised over our initial goal will be fed back into Gypsy Diner (then then into all of you).   Along with the donations collected during Pennsic 43, this extra now fully funds the Diner for Pennsic 44 (and beyond)!  It's so much more than we could have hoped for.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Love,
Robin

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Thank you ALL!!!!

The speed and success of this fundraiser has shocked and humbled us.  We are truly blessed to be surrounded by such an amazing community.

I have turned off the donation collection on this campaign because we have more than enough to get us through this year and to give us a solid cushion in case we ever have a low donation year again.  While I appreciate that folks may still want to donate to the cause, I will ask that you please do so at Pennsic, preferably while enjoying our hospitality.  That's what Gypsy Diner is all about!!

We will try not to let you all down.  :)

Love,

Robin and all of the Gypsies of Circus of the Damned