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| December 1, 2020 - December 15, 2020 |
Quite like the Winter leg of the Worldbuilders charity drive. Truly, no matter what is going on in the world, or in my life, the community that rallies around this organization genuinely warms my heart. If you know, then you know. If you don't know, then this is the perfect year to find out! With so many of us locked down, quarantining, self-isolating, or just socially awkward, 2020 is the perfect time to dip your toe into this wonderfully weird world, do a little good for other folks, and be embraced by new friends in an inviting, and respectful environment! In years past (6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ... in fact) I've talked mostly about the money, benchmarks, what Worldbuilders or Heifer International is, or who gets helped, but with the way this year has gone I think it's worth noting the human connection aspect of this fundraiser.
Each year (for approximately two weeks), author Patrick Rothfuss assembles a motley crew, and carves out an obnoxious number of hours from his days to entertain the masses on his Twitch channel where all manner of topics from gaming, to writing, conventions, parenting, and mental health are discussed live with professionals, friends, amateurs(?), imposters(??), and the gods only know who else. All the while, if you're unfamiliar with Twitch, a chat window operates to the side of the screen where all the regular folks like us get to hang out, ask questions, or offer answers to the on-screen conversation, or more often than not, deviate and hold our own little chat-party completely unrelated to the stream. I'm one of a handful of moderators over there, and I will tell you, I don't even try to stay on topic; none of us do, really. The whole goal is just to keep it a chill little corner of cyberspace where people can duck in, relax, recharge, share a laugh and feel good for as long as they wish to stay ... And I think that's what I'm most proud of. Sure, the raising money part is worthwhile, but to be perfectly honest, watching friendships evolve, and relationships grow out of a chat window, seeing the same names come back year after year, chuckling at the interactions between the regulars, and feeling my heart swell when someone new swings by for the first time, and is treated like an old pal is tremendously refreshing, and rewarding.
Going into my seventh year of participating, I can honestly say that my holiday season doesn't fully kick off until the charity starts; it's become that much a part of what traditions I do have.
It just doesn't feel like Winter, or Christmas, or whatever until this gang of geeks unites to right some of the wrongs in the world. I should mention this is not a disparaging remark, the whole idea of "geeks doing good" was founded on the notion that geeks get results. Just throwing money at a problem is not a satisfactory solution. Geeks want to be part of long-lasting, profound change that has the ability to impact peoples' lives in legitimate and tangible ways, and they have the brain-power and creativity to get in there and make it happen. That's why Worldbuilders partners with charitable organizations like Heifer International, Mercy Corps, GlobalGiving, and First Book. If that sounds like you, then you're a geek too! If you want to join the merry-making mayhem you can check out the main Worldbuilders page, if you're ready to jump right in and donate, you can do that here where every $10 gets you an entry into the prize lottery, you may also enjoy browsing the auctions, and last but not least, be sure to check out Pat's streaming schedule, and come say hello!
Charity Navigator: Worldbuilders
As always, but especially this year, because I know it's been tough on a lot of us and our dollars might be stretched a little thinner than usual, please don't feel bad if you can't make a monetary contribution. You can come hang out anyway, there is absolutely no obligation to donate, but if it's not in the budget, or you're underage and you still want to participate, remember that spreading the word is just as important as any dollar amount you could give. Make some noise!!
xoxo
