Our Community & What We Can Do

We initially started this fundraiser as a way to focus on the good that we can all do when we come together for something larger than the books, the movies, even (GASP!) the fanfiction.

We’ve already raised over $25,000, and this number is no doubt going to continue to rise throughout the day. The strength of the fandom has been demonstrated more powerfully than any of us could have dreamed.

Embedded within the fundraiser – beyond even the money raised – is the realization of what we all knew going into this: this fandom kicks ass. We may each have different aspects of the fandom that draw us in, but when it matters, we come together.

We had intended on writing a blog post talking about why we love this group of people, and why we knew that we could all do this together as a way to thank everyone who got involved. But when we asked for your input on why you love this community, your answers blew us away and said it all better than we could have.

Ultimately, this effort has not just been ours, and it has not just belonged to the fanfiction community. It has grown far beyond that. Because of that, it only makes sense that this blog post is built on your words more than ours.

Unfortunately we couldn’t post all of the responses we got, but we thank everyone who sent us a note to let us know their thoughts. While virtually everyone commented on how nice it is to have a place to go to share this passion for all things Twilight, some of you had additional reasons for being here.

**
From arfalcon: I'm a relative newcomer to fanfiction (March of this year), and there aren't enough hours in the day to get to all the amazing stories I hope to read. I'm the butt of endless jokes by the men in my house about my fanfic addiction, and I've burned dinner on more than one occasion when I couldn't stop reading something.

My 14 yr old son thinks it's weird that I spend half the day reading stuff on the internet, and of course he has no clue that I'm reading a lot of smut. My husband, on the other hand, was truly thrilled when he realized what exactly I've been reading, and has been the happy beneficiary of my overflowing, uh, emotions, on many occasions. I have daughters who are 19 and 20, and they share my Twilight obsession, but are college students and have limited time to read fanfic. I know most of you authors are MUCH younger than me, but you'd be surprised how much fun it's been to bond with my girls over some very universal emotions. And educational, too; fanfic, Twilight and the existence of Robert Pattinson have given us a whole new lexicon to talk about love, commitment, sex and its consequences.

But the thing I love most about being part of the Fandom, albeit only as a reader, is the compassion and commitment I see among you authors. I had a lot of fun working with MsKathy on TeamRichWood during the Support Stacie Auction, and I cried when I read that so many of you chipped in to buy Algie a new laptop when hers crashed. You guys are wonderful. [Right back atcha, darling]

From alonelilylanded: I’ll be honest. I’m a bit late to the proverbial party, at least as far as my communication with other Twifans is concerned. This is mostly because my Twiddiction can still pretty well be summed up as being very much in the closet. I didn’t really become involved in communicating with others until I started really getting deep into reading fanfic, and as a result decided to open a Twi-only twitter account. And damn, what fun I’ve had.

The community means many things to me. It’s a virtual sisterhood, support group, playroom and local pub where I can hang out with people who are generally like-minded and where I can really let my hair down – something I don’t get to do much in my RL. Psychologists would argue that I’ve become one of the collective conscious of the Twidom, and that’s okay by me. It’s my release, my touchstone and my contact with one of the deeper sides of myself I don’t get to express very often, and a place I relish being.

From boobookitty: I love this fandom so much because at the end of the day, it’s all about supporting each other. Regardless of the silly fights between this branch of the fandom or the other, there really is something for everyone. I can only speak for myself about this, but being a stay at home mom with four kids, it’s nice to have a place that is all mine. Here I'm not simply a wife, or a mom. I have an identity that is mine. I know that may be hard for someone who works outside the home to understand, but it is a great feeling to have something that is mine. Writing is something I've always done for my own enjoyment and never dreamed that a place like Twilighted or Fanfic.net ever existed and never thought I'd ever have the guts to ever put myself so out there. But I'm so thankful that I did. I've met wonderfully strong women from all over the world that that have become dear friends.

You know, my grandma always used to say that she was a non-person and I never really understood what she meant by that, until I became one. Don't get me wrong, I'm so thankful that I have the luxury of being able to be a stay at home parent, but it is so easy to get so wrapped up in it that you lose your identity as an individual. I'm a better parent, a better wife and a better, happier person because I have this outlet. I'm also thankful that I have a husband that understands that and has been so supportive and encouraging with this.

And while I may tweet silliness as a cat, I am forever grateful that I bit the proverbial bullet and jumped in.

From BrookeLockart: I cannot say enough about the kind, caring and wonderful people I have met through the Twilight Fandom. With a broken heart and a tormented mind, I found the books and luckily stumbled upon a hilarious blog (LettersToTwilight.com) and later Twilight Fan Fiction to help fill my time. It was easy to chat with the bloggers and commenters on the site; we loved to laugh at ourselves, the movie, actors and books (as well as the REALLY crazy fans). I’ve met several people from the fandom in person and have forged incredible friendships – we’ve even traveled together to tour the Pacific Northwest! I was very fortunate to become “real life” friends with UC from LTT who lives in the area. I really don’t know what I would have done without her this year. I’ve also been fortunate to have met some hilarious and generous friends who regularly send me “Cullen smiles” and cards in the mail or fly in from Chili to visit! For some of my friends, I’ve only been able to keep an email/chat/phone relationship, but I know they care deeply about me and the feeling is mutual.

It’s amazing that at 29 years old, I’ve made so many remarkable friends in such a short period of time. These fantastic women have been my crutch when I could barely get through each day. I cannot adequately express how much they mean to me, how much I needed them, and how I will be forever grateful for their friendship.

From imdominating: I have met some amazing women and some amazing writers. These are funny, funny ladies. I am constantly covering my mouth & stifling snorts and guffaws. I am a huge fan of "If it's not fun, why do it?" Obviously, I am having a tremendous amount of fun. I have made great friends that fill my days (and my nights when I stay up way too late) with gut-busting laughter. Who wouldn't want that?

As for the stories themselves and how they link the community, I liken it to cheering for a sports team. We're all pulling for the characters together. The author is the referee. They're calling the shots. You might think they're unfair. You might want to yell, 'Get off your knees, you're blowing it!' - which, come on, we would yell either way. But we are invested. We are rooting for the home team. When they win, we win. When they lose, we all snotsob together.
I count myself very lucky because I've been able to do this with so many people in person. I know a lot of people keep their fic life and real life very separate. I'm lucky enough to have brought several of my real life friends into this fandom with me. I've also brought some of my fic friends out of my computer and have been able to meet people I love and admire in person.

From Kimpy0464: I've been lurking around the Fandom since January. I've been hardcore since probably March-April. What I enjoy the most is the fact that I have found a group of women who share common interests with me. I'm pretty geeky, and I'm simply amazed that there are so many other highly intelligent, interesting, diverse, witty, smutty, snarky women out here in Fandom. If you told me a year ago that I would be highly connected online with a group of women, I would have laughed. However, that being said, I've never felt more empowered than I do right now; my online activities have allowed me to embrace my sexuality in a way I can't in RL. I've never really connected with women before. But these women? I get them (for the most part). They make me laugh, sometimes they make me cry, but the bottom line is that they add so much goodness to my life. If someone forced me to give up the Fandom, I would be devastated. Seriously. I rely upon these women, whom I've never met face to face, to keep me going every day. I never imagined that I could feel so attached to someone I don't really know, but clearly, I'm highly capable of bonding online.

The positive aspects of the Fandom are many. I enjoy the stories, that include the characters whom I love so dearly. I enjoy interacting with the authors, who are funny and fun. I love being able to leave reviews and give authors feedback that you cannot do in RL. I believe Mrs. The King summarized it perfectly when she stated how amazed she was that people were willing to sit down and read her stories piece by piece in tiny type on a computer screen. The Fandom enticed me to finally do my own writing, which I've always wanted to do, but never got around to doing it. I had a story in my head for TEN years, (really, ten years!), and it was the Fandom that brought it out of me. Even if I only got one review for my story, the writing process alone makes the Fandom worthwhile. Being able to write has unleashed a creative side of me that I didn't know existed. I love it, and it is absolutely my hobby. Again, I never imagined that something so rewarding was out there for me, but I am grateful for it. It has made me so happy and satisfied. That I can meet and interact with people who are so incredible on top of the rest? It's icing on the cake.

Why do I stay? I can't imagine being anywhere else. When people I love drop out of sight, I worry. When there are a few days that pass and I haven't been able to check in with some of my favorite people, things don't feel right. I tend to be a loner and like to keep to myself, but the Fandom has actually brought me out of my shell. I've met people in person, something I never would have done before all this. I Skype with people, for god's sake, and I never talk on the phone. Clearly, it has brought out a completely different side of me, and a more confident person has sprung from this.

From Bellove72: Besides loving all things Twilight and EdwardxBella, I enjoy the fandom because it gives me the opportunity to ‘out’ my incredulous addiction while staying in the closet at the same time! There are few people in my RL that know of my infatuation with all things Twilight! I also like that there are so many other wonderful people that have the same obsession that I do, as well as a place to speak freely about it!

I stay because reading fanfic is my escape from RL but at the same time it’s what keeps me grounded. I’m not a writer but if I’m not mistaken, one of the first rules of writing is to write what you know. If that’s the case, many of the fics I’ve read are filled with angst which leads me to believe that a good majority of the story lines are actually versions of the authors own personal story. So when I say it keeps me grounded, it’s because I remember that everyone has something they are or have gone through and are trying to heal from. Reading some of the fics I’ve read helps me to remember that I’m not the only one that has issues to deal with and it makes it a little easier. If the fics really do touch on personal issues for the authors, I love the fact that there writing about it is probably the best kind of therapy and very healing.

I have never been one for Woman’s lib and burning bras, etc. Just didn’t matter to me. My real life isn’t surrounded by over domineering males and I haven’t really encountered anything like that. But with the woman I’ve met, I understand for the first time in my life how powerful we really are. I am truly amazed as what I see/read every day. I can’t even form a complete sentence to describe what I mean. But here are some adjectives that I see, feel, hear, read, that all give me this feeling: creative, intelligent, powerful, witty, courageous, sexy, determined, sensual, serious, astounding, compassion, nurturing, I could go on and on. I see the things and know that as woman we really can do anything and that gives me hope. Geez, so didn’t mean to get so heavy but every day I’m awed and humbled by the extreme talent around me in the fandom!

**
Every response we received made us smile (some made us tear up). One of the responses we saw the most was people feeling proud to be a part of something as big as TFGB.

And trust us, we couldn't be prouder. So, the three of us really want to say thank you.

Thank you, of course, for the monetary donations.

But thank you, too, authors and artists, for volunteering your time, energy, and creativity for the auction.

Thank you to our affiliates for contributing their resources and alerting their followers to the fundraiser.

Thank you to everyone who spread the word, whether it was to a friend, to a mass of followers, or in an author’s note.

We truly hope that everyone feels ownership of this effort – it belongs to all of us.
Love,
Nina, Lo, Christina

PS: Please share your own thoughts about the fandom in a comment!

A Researcher's Perspective on ALSF

I’m sitting in front of my computer staring at the current total that The Fandom Gives back has raised for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation: $17,575.39.

$17,575.39.

That number will undoubtedly go up in the next few hours – it already has as I’ve written even these first few paragraphs of this post – and probably will more before I even have a chance to hit "publish post". It’s truly astounding that we’ve raised this much, and we still have 2.5 days left in the auction. This total doesn’t even include what KStew411 has raised on behalf of Kristen Stewart. I can hardly wrap my mind around any of this.

I wish I could communicate what it does to me to see this happening, but I know I don’t need to because I know you all feel it too. It’s one thing to find community and kinship here in the Twilight fandom, and it’s also one thing to enjoy being able to continue writing and reading about these characters we all love. But we all know that it’s another thing entirely to be able to corral that energy and do something so completely meaningful with this fandom that we’ve all built.

So what does this mean for ALSF? Well, as we’ve mentioned in the side bar, ALSF has made the GiveSpot List. In order to make this list, the charity has to solicit funds from the public and run in an efficient and transparent manner. All of the groups listed spend 75% or more of annual expenses on program services. In fact, ALSF spends 89% on program services, which includes research grants, nursing grants, and travel grants to help families with travel expenses as they travel for treatments for their children. They also have an annual Childhood Cancer Symposium that brings families together for education about the disease course, treatment options, and to foster community.

ALSF is particularly impressive to me in the way that it emphasizes research. I am a research scientist, working in the neuroscience field and (without giving up too much of my identity) working in age-associated diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and neuropathic pain. My husband has been studying cancer biology since 1997. My sister is a pediatric oncology nurse. My mother is a cancer survivor. My family – as do many of yours as well – knows the importance of research and outreach in disease and the fact that 87% of ALSF funds go towards program activities is astounding.

So what could 87% of $17,575.39, or $15,642, do for a scientist?

It could fund a small research array to identify genetic changes in a type of malignant tumor.

It could purchase enough reagents, equipment, and supplies to conduct an experiment on a novel cell signaling pathway and how it affects tumor development.

It could pay a large part of a graduate student’s salary (sadly enough, ha) as well as travel funds to a meeting to meet other scientists and senior researchers.

It could fund the development of a novel tumor cell line which could be used to screen novel therapies.

It could do any of these things or so many others. The amount that WE have raised TOGETHER is already enough to help impact childhood cancer in a MEANINGFUL and SIGNIFICANT way. I hope you all understand that what we have raised has the potential to be an entire research grant, or to fund a nursing grant to expand on the current care options for sick kids.

Perhaps even more importantly, it’s enough to send an entire family to another city for several weeks while their child receives treatment.

We all did that. It’s truly amazing what we’ve done already, and we still have 2.5 days left. I relied on small research grants for some of my graduate and post-doctoral fellowships and I can’t tell you what a difference it makes to a young (or even more established) scientist to have funding for exciting and innovative projects.

So, I thank you as a mom, as a sister of a woman who gives treatment to sick kids every day, as the daughter of a cancer survivor, as a friend in the fandom, but also as a scientist, because I’ve seen firsthand what this kind of generosity can foster. I hope you all know that the three of us are beyond grateful to every one of you.
With love,
Lola, Christina, and Nina