If you’d like to read part one of the Worldbuilders wrap-up, you can find it over here.
* * *
Today we’ve got a video for y’all. A thank-you video from some of the people involved in Worldbuilders this year.
I’m really awful at recording little videos of myself on a webcam.
Put me in front of classroom of students, I’m fine. Ask me to sing on a video interview? Fine. Reading a sex scene in front of a crowd? Blushy, but fine…
But put me in front of a webcam and ask me to record an earnest little 20 second message? I’m useless. It probably took me 30 tries to do that intro. And even after all that, my intro somehow has *less* grace and elan than someone selling steak knives on QVC.
So let me say it in my ordinary, texty way.
Seriously, thank you.
This year we raised more than 600,000 dollars for Heifer International. (Including the 100,000 stretch goal and merchandise sold in The Tinker’s Packs.) We left last year’s $400,000+ total in the dust.
What’s even cooler is this: a couple days ago when I was doing a reading at Heifer International down in Little Rock, the person introducing me dropped a surprising number into the converstion. They said that over the last 5 years, Worldbuilders has raised 1.95 million dollars for Heifer. I was a little stunned by that. I hadn’t done the math….
So. My earnest thanks. You guys are awesome. You renew my faith in humanity.
Now, back to the video, I feel I should mention that the folks we included are only a tiny fraction of the people involved. Why? Because a three-hour thank-you video is just too long, so we had to leave a lot of folks out.
Like, just for example, my friend Joyce.
Joyce has been my friend for years. I’ve known her since my first year in Stevens Point back in 1991. She’s been involved in Worldbuilders since it started.
And yet, because she wasn’t around in the couple days we were putting the video put together, we… um… just kinda forgot to put her in it.
So if your favorite author who participated isn’t in there, or if you donated and wondered why we didn’t ask you for a clip, don’t feel sad. It’s not because we don’t love you. We do. It’s because we’re hard at work getting ready for next year, and it’s just impossible to fit everyone in.
In closing, two quick things.
1. I’m still trying to contact the winners of this year’s big prizes, and I’m having trouble with a few of them.
So if for some reason you haven’t been reading your e-mail, do me a favor and take a look in there, would you? Otherwise we’ll have to give the prize to someone else, then when you find that message in your spam filter six weeks from now, you’ll cry….
2. Apparently I’m not the only person who has to take a couple runs at getting their video right. We’ve got the outtakes from the thank-you video over here.
Personally, I like it better.
With love,
pat
24 Comments
‘Twas a pleasure to be involved. Banding together with the nerds of the world to make a difference was awesome.
But it looks like there’s been some kind of mistake… I checked my spam folders, and I’m STILL not one of the big winners. I hope someone else has better luck…
Nope nothing in my spam either. Too bad but somebody else still has hope. But could you not in this case post their names on the blog? I know how you feel about privacy but I think the winner or winners won’t mind in this case since the alternative is losing a great prize.
By the way great results for worldbuilders and what a great movie. The song was perhaps the best thing ever. Perhaps he can do a c.d. this year for worldbuilders.
That’s not a bad idea. I’ll think about it….
Mr Rothfuss.
To respect privacy and get the winner’s attention, instead of putting his/her complete name, you could put just family name and maybe quantity of donated money or state. Something like:
– Mr. Smith, CA, $ 90, Big Winner.
Some people’s spam filters delete more frequently than others too, so it might not even be there to find. Either trying again now that it’s been mentioned he’s having trouble and people are on the lookout, or announcing some sort of details on the blog might be worthwhile to get their attention, yeah…
Hey, right back atcha! Thank YOU for all the efforts you put in on behalf of Heifer. I was going to donate to Heifer in lieu of Christmas gifts for family as usual anyway. By going through Worldbuilders, I get to see my contribution as part of a larger and, one hopes, more effective effort. Not to mention having a chance of a prize, which happened to pay off for me. Likewise, with the Torment thing, since the stretch goal to have you participate was in effect a large contribution to Heifer, I got to make another donation which will just so happen to pay me a dividend when the game comes out. Rarely (never?) have I gotten such rewards for charitable contributions. Win-win-win! So thanks again, Pat!
I like the new motto. ;-)
So where do we go to buy the hot new single, Orullian Thank-You? :D
No one is commenting because everyone is racing to their spam folders, looking at their inbox and deleting emails in case it’s somehow ‘full’, or whitelisting every address that could possibly be associated with Pat or Worldbuilders…
Or, you know. Maybe not. Maybe that’s just me. ;)
The outtakes were hilarious! Thanks for posting them.
Why to Brett and Nate refuse to grace us with their visages? I think the monkey puppets make it ok though.
Thank you all for bringing us world builders. Not only did you expose me to my idea of a perfect charity (I seriously wondered why charities didn’t work the way Heifer does as a kid) but you encourage people to donate with awesome prizes and you bring a larger sense of community to an already awesome group of people.
Now for my most important question! Are the “Pat’s Minion” shirts for sale???
Checking spam folder, lets see. “Lose weight with Rachel Ray”, nope that’s not it. “FREE ROLEX”, no, didn’t remember seeing a Rolex as a prize, “Naked Celebrity pics”, no don’t recall that as a prize either, and depending on the celebrity, it could be scary. “Get a larger p*%$#”. I sure hope that wasn’t it. “Phone Bill is Due”, oh crap, how did that get in here? “EARN YOUR DEGREE WHILE YOU SLEEP”, no that isn’t it either. “Canadian Pharmacy”…OK, I give up. I don’t see any prized from Worldbuilders…Will try again next year. :)
Loved the outtakes from the video. Brightened up a dull day at work.
This made me smile. Thank you :)
You’re welcome.
The little jaywalking ducklings must be so proud of the movement they helped spawn.
Thanks for using your powers for good.
I loved Middle-Earth’s map in the background. And please, when will The Tinker’s Packs start to sell the “Pat’s Minion” shirt? I simply need one of these!
Actually, I think first name is less identifying than last, so that could be a good choice. I’m not sure I’d want my donation amount posted though.
Ugh, this was meant to be in response to an earlier post suggesting that Pat post the last name, city, and donation amount for winners to help people spot themselves.
Good grief, Oot is cute!
I’m so glad I got to donate this year. Definitely had one of those warm fuzzies! And based on that performance, I think Peter Orullian earned his talent pipes.
Sort of fun to look at the bookshelves behind the authors and pick out the books and specific editions that are on my own shelf. Think I had the most matches with Brad Beaulieu, but there was at least a few with just about everyone who did bookshelf shot…
Holy! Peter Orullian just thoroughly rocked my face off. That was very cool.
Just checked my spam filter. I don’t see anything that seems like worldbuilders.
Unless you are seniorpeoplemeet.com
You should just announce the winners who haven’t answered. I mean it is only their name. I know names are powerful, but I would think most of your fan base is above malfeasance.
is Jacqueline Carey Harriet Rigney’s niece? I ask because in her first book there is a quote from Robert Jordan. In the dedication she thanks her Aunt Harriet. The only other quote I know of from Robert Jordan was A Game of Thrones.
also, any word on Orullian’s next book? I know Patrick is sensitive to this question. So I am asking politely.
For just a little more math with that $1.95 Million:
That’s enough for two heifers, every day, for five years.
Or, three gifts of clean water, every day, for five years.
Or, sending four little girls to school, every day, for five years.
Or, nine goats/pigs, every day, for five years.
Or, 53 flocks of geese/chicks/ducks, every day, for five years.
Worldbuilders has done more good than I can even comprehend.
Thank YOU, Pat, and everyone on the team.