Can't Stop The Serenity Vancouver Saturday, June 20, 2015 Noon to 6 pm

THE SCHEDULE!!

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Always subject to change, of course, but this is the schedule as close as we can stick to it. (There will be a program with the schedule in it available when you enter.)

11:30 - Doors open. PowerPoint with sponsors, information about our beneficiaries, etc, will be
playing.

Noon - Introductions, CSTS Global Introduction (please, no filming), draw for our trivia contest.

12:15 - Sing-along to Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

1:00 - Evil Laugh Contest

1:20 - Costume Contest

1:40 - Live Auction
Door Prize Draw

2:10 - "Name That Tune"

2:30 - Screening of Quintipus

2:40 - Whedon Trivia Bingo

3:10 - Silent Auction Closes
          Short Break before the doors close at

3:20 - Prefacing Remarks

3:30 - Screening of Serenity!

5:30 - Movie ends
          Door prize draw
          Closing remarks & acknowledgements
          Silent Auction items can be claimed in the Lounge immediately following

Some of us will be gathering in the Lounge to decompress and probably order pizza if you want to stay and visit.

NOTES: All transactions, including tickets and auction items are by cash only. There is an ATM in the lobby, if needed. If you ordered your ticket(s) online, please remember to bring your PayPal receipt with you. There is no food allowed in the Auditorium - and only fluids with lids - however, there will be a 10 year celebration cake, made and donated by C&C Cakery, and small sandwiches, donated by Kathleen, which will be available mid-afternoon. Both will be by donation. You may eat on any of the benches outside the Auditorium or at the front of the building.

Remember, this is a fundraising event to help women and children - locally and around the world - so please give generously. There are so many shiny items in both the live and silent auction. (Scroll back through previous posts to remind yourself of what YOU want to bid on.) Above all, have a great time!

FINAL TRIVIA QUESTION!

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Are you ready?

Final trivia question (#7) is from Serenity, of course: What does Mal say keeps a ship in the air?

Don't forget to e-mail all the correct answers - including the bonus ones - to cstsvancouver@gmail.com by midnight PDT this Friday, June 19th. If there is more than one entry with all the correct answers, all the correct entries will be put in a draw to win. You must be at the event on Saturday to claim your prize. Good luck!

JEWEL IS STILL AWESOME - PART 2!

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I told you there was more! Jewel signed the Kaylee maquette, donated by Nina.

A Kaylee t-shirt which you will probably never want to wear:

And a hand-painted parasol, painted and donated by Jodie Bjarson:

Remember it's cash only and be prepared to bid high and often!

The last trivia question will be up on the blog later today.

JEWEL STAITE IS STILL AWESOME - PART ONE!

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And gorgeous and glowing and of course we know she's talented - and also a very nice person! Jewel came in to sign some items for our auction on Saturday and let me take her picture with Julia Simpson's crocheted Kaylee Minion. (She signed a tag which we will attach.)

Side view showing the teddy bear patch.

She signed three copies of the Serenity Official Companion, two of which we will be auctioning off and one we will be donating to another CSTS city.

Jewel also signed issue #3 of the original Serenity comics. (Issue #1 & 2 are also included.) If you can't read it, it says "Not that you...spit..." Jewel Staite

More signed items up later.

A GOOD DAY'S WORK

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Thanks to Kathleen and Julia for several hours of volunteering Sunday afternoon in order for us to sort all the donations we had into silent or live auction, contest prizes, door prizes and grab bags. Grab bags will still be $5 but are worth more so come early as they usually go quickly. Remember, cash only for all purchases and bids. (There is an ATM in the lobby if needed.)

Here are some pictures of the shiny items we were sorting.

Here are the contest and door prize packages:

We will also have some items for sale at the event. Numbers are limited so it's first come, first serve.

Patches are $5 each.

The 10-Year Commemorative Coin will be $10.

And we have five Serenity ship magnets, donated to us by the wonderful Albuquerque Browncoats, for a minimum donation of $5 each.

BOOKS! DID SOMEONE SAY BOOKS?

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We not only watch sci-fi, a lot of us like to read it, in graphic novels, short stories or novels. We have books!

Leaving Megalopolis is an original hardcover graphic novel written by Gail Simone (Birds of Prey, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Deadpool, etc) and illustrated by Jim Calafiore (Batgirl, Deadpool, Iron Man, etc.).

A Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, signed by both:

A novel (Snyper) and novella (Murderous Row), signed by new author J. Merideth Harmon:

An anthology of connected stories - and a couple of poems - centering around a town full of superheroes and supervillains and a retired superhero who now owns a deli. You can have The Deli Counter of Justice autographed by one of the authors, if you like:

The hardcover of Leaves on the Wind by Zach Whedon, a continuation of Firefly/Serenity, signed by artist Georges Jeanty, who also drew a picture inside each book:

WE'RE NOT JUST WHEDON FANS!

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Most of us who come to CSTS events are Joss Whedon fans, but we are usually also fans of other TV series, books and movies in the genre.

For the costume contest, we like to stick to the Whedonverse, with a prize for the best Firefly/Serenity-related costume and one for any Whedon-related character - or would-be character. Costumes need to be creative, homemade and in good taste, keeping in mind that there could be young children present.

For auction items, though, we are eclectic in our tastes, as shown by the photos below. You've already seen the replica Battlestar Galactica original series lunchbox and the wonderful Game of Thrones cookbook and puzzle plus, but here are a few other items you may want to spend your money on. (Cash only, please.)

An autographed picture of Clare Kramer aka Glory/Glorificus in Season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

More lovely drawings from James Hanse. First up from Game of Thrones, Daenerys:

What about Sherlock Holmes?

Or perhaps you prefer Indiana Jones?

Are you a Lord of the Rings fan? Never been used extended version DVDs of The Fellowship of the Rings and Return of the King.

Tomorrow - some of the books we have.

TRIVIA QUESTION #6 - ALSO WITH A BONUS POINT

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This is the second last week for the trivia contest so we're giving out another bonus point! In case you're not counting, that will add up to 10 by the end of the contest. Remember to save all your answers for one e-mail at the end of the contest and the deadline for entering is midnight, Friday, June 19th. If there are multiple winners, we will draw one of them at the event. You must have a ticket and be present to win.

Question #6 from Joss's version of Much Ado About Nothing: Who played Dogberry?

For a bonus point from The Avengers: What were the Avengers eating at the end of the credits?

And for some pretty pictures, here are some items you might find in a grab bag at the event.

Patches:

Buttons:

10 Year Commemorative Coins. There will be a limited number of these for sale for $10 each.

Here's a closeup of each side:

ATLAS OF THE VERSE!

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Thanks to a generous donation from long-time Browncoat and CSTS volunteer Kari Hartman, we have a mint edition of Serenity: Atlas of the Verse. This is now going for up to $200 on eBay but you will be able to bid on it in our live auction. Here are a few pictures to whet your appetite. (Double click on a picture to see an enlarged view.)

The front cover:

The inside front cover:

Some of the inside pages:

And we all know where small arms should go in a table setting, don't we? :D

WHY "CAN'T STOP THE SERENITY"?

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A 10-year-old girl in Paraguay, pregnant and alone.

Jordanian women who do not have equal rights as citizens.

A human rights lawyer working for democracy in Libya was murdered and almost a year later, there has been no investigation.

Young girls are still subject to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Liberia.

Italian lawmakers are discussing laws that would decriminalise prostitution and make it easier for sex trafficers to take advantage of young girls. They also want to teach secondary school boys how to "safely use people in prositution".

What do these have in common? They are all projects that Equality Now (EN) is working on with their international partners - actions that need money. And that's where we come in.

Each year Can't Stop The Serenity events are held around the world to benefit Equality Now and, in some cases, local charities. Our local beneficiary this year is again the Avalon Recovery Society which provides drop-in centres for women who are recovering from addictions. Money raised for Equality Now at CSTS events helps EN push forward with their mission to end violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world.

So when you are buying a ticket to your local CSTS event, when you are singing along to Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, when you are buying bingo cards or bidding on an item or two or three in the silent or live auction, and especially when you are watching Serenity, remember where your dollars are going and what good they will be doing and give generously.

On a personal note, after 10 years and nine events, this will be my last CSTS as organiser so I would love to go out on a high note with our best donation yet! I hope you have enjoyed coming out to the events over the years - I know some of you have come almost every year - and I hope that someone else will step forward to organise future events. My thanks as ever to those who donate, sponsor, volunteer and support by coming out, enjoying and spending generously. We couldn't do it without you!

To see previous posts on Why "Can't Stop The Serenity"?, click for 2013, 2012, and 2011.

T-SHIRTS IN THE AUCTION!

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We've been lucky to have several t-shirts donated to the auction throughout the year, most by Kathleen and Simon. Take a look at these and open your wallet with cashy money to bid in less than two weeks!!

TRIVIA QUESTION #5 - WITH ADDED BONUS POINT!

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Are you ready for the next question? If you've been rewatching Firefly, you should get this one easily.

Question #4 from Firefly: What was the name of the mayor who Mal's crew kept reminding him had shot him?

Bonus point: What was the name of the planet where the mayor lived?

SHINY, SHINY AUCTION ITEMS!

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Firefly Cargo Bay has been a generous donor to CSTS Vancouver for several years. This year she has donated a number of posters, including this one:

There were also several prints from artist extraordinaire, James Hance, including these members of the Serenity crew.

I'll post some of the other posters - from other fandoms - later in the week.

LOCAL TALENT!!

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One of the things we like to do at CSTS Vancouver is highlight the creativity of some of our local Browncoats/geeks/nerds, through the auction and in the programming. In the past we have shown episodes of local webseries, Mind My Brains, Darling, Standard Action and The Masked Roger. We have had local filkers to sing and if you look back at previous years' auction items, you will see many crafty objects up for bid.

This year is no exception. We will be showing a short short film, Quintipus, written and directed by local talent Victoria Angell.

We will have art from several local artists, including Seth Rutledge and Francois Cannels. You can find examples of Francois's work at Patreon and Seth's at his tumblr. We also have crocheted Minion figures from the talented Julia Simpson. Here's Mal with his brown coat open to show his suspenders:

There are a couple more to come. :)

In addition, this year we will have a new game - Name That Tune - in which local musician Carrie Chapman will play the first few notes of a sci-fi theme song on her tuba and a select group will try to guess the 'tune'. The contestants will be limited to a few volunteers, so come prepared.

And local bakers Courtney & Colin of C&C Cakery are back this year, making a large cake which they will be serving for a small - or large - donation!

TRIVIA QUESTION #4

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How is everyone doing with the questions? Here's another easy one.

#4 from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: What did Dr. Horrible steal from the courier?

DETAILS OF THOSE LAST AUCTION ITEMS

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I thought you might like a few more details of those last pictures. (Double click on the pictures for larger views.) The puzzle is actually two puzzles plus plus. The larger one is a map of Westeros and the smaller one goes on top is a topographical map. In addition, there are numerous 3D tokens, including the Iron Throne itself!

And here are a couple of recipes from inside the cookbook. I showed the puzzle and the cookbook to one of my colleagues at work who immediately decided to come to our event just so she could bid on them!!

Get your tickets - and t-shirts now!! Just click on the appropriate buttons on the side.

MORE AUCTION ITEMS

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I was given a box of goodies for being such a loyal Telus customer, among which are two items I will be including in the auction.

TRIVIA QUESTION #3

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The first two questions were probably pretty easy if you are a fan of Joss Whedon's shows. This one might be a little bit harder.

#3 from Dollhouse: What was Priya / Sierra's occupation before she became a doll?

Remember, all answers should be sent in one e-mail after the last question on June 17th, arriving before midnight on Friday, June 19th. You must be present at the event to win. Get your tickets now! T-shirts too!

T-SHIRTS AVAILABLE NOW!!

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10 Year Celebration t-shirts are now available for purchase. They are $25 cash in person or $26 with PayPal via the buttons on the right. Men's sizes range from Small to 3XL and women's from Small to 2XL. Please make sure you select the right size. Deadline for payment and ordering is midnight June 2nd. The shirt is red with a mostly white - and black Serenity - logo and was designed by Adam Levermore aka lexigeek, who designed the t-shirts the first two years. The shirts are Fruit of the Loom and the design is silkscreened on. These shirts are available only for a limited time so order now and pick them up at the event. (If you want one mailed to you, please contact me directly at cstsvancouver@gmail.com to make arrangements for shipping charges.) Here's a picture of the shirt. (The back is plain.)

FIRST LOOK AT SOME OF OUR AUCTION ITEMS

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A Battlestar Galactica Original Series REPLICA lunchbox.

We were given some gently used maquettes of Firefly figures, including Wash and River Tam facing the Reavers.

Stay tuned for more pictures, including original artwork, crafty geek items and more.

TRIVIA QUESTION #2

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Did you get the correct answer to that first question? Here's the second one.

#2. From Angel: Who was the Host of Caritas? Bonus point if you give the full name/title.

All answers should be sent in one e-mail by midnight Friday, June 19th, to cstsvancouver@gmail.com

TRIVIA QUESTION #1

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The trivia questions are all Whedon-related and I'm sure if you haven't watched one of the shows, you can look it up. :) All answers should be submitted by e-mail to cstsvancouver@gmail.com by midnight, Friday, June 19th. If there are multiple people with correct answers, a draw will be held at the event on June 20th. You must be present to claim the prize.

#1. From Buffy the Vampire Slayer: What was the name of the computer teacher who dated Giles?

Question #2 will be up the middle of next week.

I saw pictures last night of one of the items that will be going up for auction, made by local 'nerd' Julia Simpson. You are going to want to save up your cash-y money to bid on that and the other items she is making! Pictures will go up when I have them in hand. In the meantime, there will be other photos making their way to these posts. And if anyone has an item - no matter the fandom - and would like to donate it as an auction or prize item, please feel free to contact me at the above address.

TICKETS NOW ON SALE!

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Tickets are now on sale on our blog - just click the button to the right. Tickets are $15 in person and $16 via PayPal. If you buy the tickets online, they will be waiting for you at the door. Please bring your receipt with you.

We already have several items for our auctions/prizes with some original creative works on their way. Pictures will start going up soon.

Look for our online trivia contest starting later this week. There will be one question per week until the week of our event. If more than one person gets all the correct answers, there will be a draw before the screening.

WE'RE BACK!!

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Yes, there will be a CSTS Vancouver event this year, in honour of the 10th year of Can't Stop The Serenity. Ten years - and the global fundraising event for Equality Now and local charities has raised almost $1,000,000!! Good work and kudos to all those who have supported and worked on events around the world. This year's logo (on the right) was designed by Adam Levermore, who also designed the logo for the first year of events.

Here in Vancouver our total is just about $30,000 for eight years, and we'd like to make this year the best one ever.

DATE: Saturday, June 20, 2015

TIME: Noon to 6 pm

PLACE: H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver

TICKETS: $15 in person; $16 via PayPal (tickets will go on sale this weekend)

There will be a screening of "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" screened by permission from Time Science Blood Club, LLC. ©Time Science Blood Club, LLC. All rights reserved."

In addition, we will have our Evil Laugh contest (so get practising!), costume contest, trivia bingo, silent and live auctions, and of course the screening of Serenity.

We will also have a trivia contest on the blog, so keep checking back for that, pictures of our auction items and the reasons why we do this event each year. T-shirts will be on sale shortly.

SCAVENGER HUNT WINNER & MORE AUCTION ITEMS!

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Our Scavenger Hunt winner is Binh Nghiem and here are his pictures.

With a beagle

With a Chinese sign

With a protein (chocolate) cake

In front of a hospital

With incense

In a (sort of) Jayne's hat

With a parasol

With a (plastic) dinosaur

With a rainstick

Eating a strawberry

Congratulations, Binh!!

Here are the last of the posters donated by Kathleen & Simon. They are Set #2 of the travel posters designed by well-known designer & artist (and geek) Adam Levermore, aka lexigeek. We will be selling them separately.

In addition to all the shiny auction items - both silent and live auction - we have door prizes and of course grab bags for $5 each. They always go fast so come early and bring lots of cashy money to support our charities. See you tomorrow!!