CON CHARITY

So many lives have been affected by the disease of alcoholism, and the actors who portray Kirk and Spock on the screen are no different.  William Shatner's third wife Nerine was an alcoholic, and we recently had confirmed in Mind Meld that Leonard Nimoy struggles with this affliction as well.

So KiScon 2004 thinks it appropriate to designate Friendly House in Los Angeles as our con charity.  Here's a description of what they do:

Friendly House, a non profit organization is one of the nation's first residential homes for women recovering from alcohol and substance abuse. Founded in 1951, Friendly House has given tens of thousands of women the resources to lead productive and meaningful lives by providing personalized care in a supportive environment. As a social model living facility, Friendly House offers full time supervision and has garnered an exceptionally high recovery rate of over 72%.

Friendly House is chartered by the State of California and listed by the Federal Government as a tax-exempt foundation. It is entirely self-supported by private donations and the fund-raising efforts of over 100 volunteers, as well as the Friendly House Board of Directors.

Executive Director Peggy Albrecht leads a small staff including an assistant director and business manager, as well as evening and weekend personnel who provide full time supervision. In January 2001 The Shatner Family Foundation dedicated a second West Los Angeles home in memory of Nerine Shatner, while the original facility is still in operation in the mid-Wilshire area.

We'll be running raffles throughout the con weekend featuring wonderful prizes for just $1 per ticket.  Fifty percent of the proceeds of the raffles will go the Friendly House and 50% will support the convention. 

We'd like to also run a silent auction during the weekend, with 50% of the proceeds going to Friendly House.  Items donated for the silent auction do not need to be K/S or Star Trek related, although those are welcome, too.  Please contact us at kiscon2004@aol.com if you've got questions or an item that you want to donate.