141 thoughts on “WWdN: the fundraiser”

1. Dang, how does one follow that last post… um…
   Say, I’d love to contribute, but with the stock sold out and that I already have a signed JAG, what can one do?

2. warcrygirl: um, shut up. They’re not pets, they’re family. Get it? Would you tell someone to “get a cheaper child next time” if their 2 kids just died? Jeebus.
   Wil, pay no attention to the people who Just Don’t Get It.
   On a different note, I’m bummed that you ran out of books and I can’t help out. 🙁 Any chance I could order one anyway?
   Hang in there!!

3. Wil,
   My advice is not to listen to those who do not have anything constructive to say. Whether it be children or pets, the medical bills can be staggering, but some don’t realize this fact.
   We were able to help by securing our copy within the first hour and just want to say Thank You for the copy. We would have helped even without the book, but it is a definately plus as I cannot exactly get to California. 🙂 If you do decide to offer Dancing Barefoot, we would definately be interested in a copy.
   Best regards from some friends in New Hampshire

4. I have a dog and cat I consider family. I also have two sons. I can afford to pay ALL of their medical bills, thank you very much. How is it you do all this work and yet you can’t pay your bills? Perhaps you should rethink your next trip to Vegas.
   And please, do not compare my kids to pets; as much as I would cry and miss my cat and dog when they die (they are 7 and 11 years, respectively, so the time is closer than I realized) I would never mourn my pets the same way I’d mourn the loss of a child.
   And I would NEVER have a cheesy auction to pay for the bills. Seriously, Wil, pay your own bills.

5. warcrygirl: omg, are you truly so stupidly clueless? do you have ANY idea how many people in this country work their butts off and cannot afford healthcare for themselves, much less their pets? it must be nice to be independently wealthy and able to afford medical bills. i wouldn’t know. while i was working full time as a freaking teacher at the university of notre dame — without any health insurance — i got cancer. so did my cat. trying to choose between your own treatment and that of your pet is a damn hard thing — oddly enough, though, while the vets wouldn’t work on brenden without $$, the doctors gave me chemo even knowing i couldn’t pay for it. i’m alive. brenden’s not. that oh-so-wonderful “family” of notre dame didn’t help out at all (outside of a few close friends.
   don’t you DARE take wil or anyone else to task for what you call a “cheesy auction.” it’s an honest way to make some money while giving people stuff they want. there’s no shame in it — have you read how many other people are asking for more books? how many are asking for the same deal on his other title?
   and what makes you think that he paid for that trip to vegas (in anything other than time)? for all i know, the tournament folks had him flown in AND spotted him the place at the table. they’ve been known to do things like that.
   everyone else: sorry for the rant. this is obviously a hot button issue for me. sheesh

6. Wow, so much controversy of something so simple and obvious.
   #1 Have bills.
   #2 Sell personal property to pay bills.
   Folks, the books are Wil’s to do with as he pleases. Selling them to help pay the bills sounds like a perfectly good idea to me.
   In the last twelve months, two of my dogs racked up nearly *twenty five thousand* dollars in vet bills. I sold all kinds of stuff to help defray those costs. (I’m still in debt to my eyeballs.) Not one of my friends or acquaintances questioned it in the least.
   Wil, I hope you’ll understand that I don’t have the money to help you out right now. But, good luck, and I’m very sorry about the loss of your cats.

7. I think that Warcrygirl is under the delusion that just because Wil works in the entertainment industry that he is automatically rollin’ in dough. Have you not been paying attention? He’s been auditioning, not working as much as he’d like. Guest spots pay a few grand here and a few grand there, but that doesn’t add up to a small fortune. And doing a show like he does at ACME can’t be the kind of cash you must think it is. I’d be shocked if it was even a thousand a week, actually, and I make more than that sitting on my fat ass in my living room teaching voice and acting part time, while he’s out working his ass off. Because I am fortunate enough to make a decent living, I am more than happy to help a fellow actor out of a tough spot, because we all go through them. He didn’t say he couldn’t pay his bills, he just said it made things tight. He’s obviously trying not to let the unexpected medical bills of his pets impede upon his ability to provide for his family. Seems like they come first, or did you miss that part? Oh, and, I hope the use of the word “never” doesn’t come back to bite you in the ass, as it almost always does. (I said almost, so don’t have a stroke)He set a price and sold us a special edition, personalized copy of his book… Hardly the “cheesy auction” of which you speak. Those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to help out did…others offered words of support. Each thing equally important. We bought it without a gun to our heads. We bought it because we have compassion for others. Yay for you because you can pay all your bills. You get a cookie. What’s sad is that the callousness and shallowness with which you attacked in order to defend whatever injustice you felt was committed against you will be competely lost on you.
   Self-righteous indignation is SO not a good color on you. Seriously.

8. omFg. warcrygirl, how heartless and unsympathetic can you be? First of all, not to be able to appreciate someone grieving over the loss of a family member and slapping them in the face (the face if they’re lucky) is simply inexcusable. Who are you to judge the Wheaton family if they happen to want their pets to have the medical treatment necessary to keep them alive with a good quality of life? If you had read the comments above, you’d see that it was their choice to make the financial commitment necessary to take care of Sketch and the Bear, and at a certain point they did decide that they just couldn’t commit any more money to their cat’s continually declining health (I’m sure quality of life issues were probably a part of their decision, too). Simply because you would have made the decision to shoot your dog in the head doesn’t mean that you can insult them with impunity (and impetuousness) relatively anonymously on his website.
   Of course, Wil doesn’t need us to fight his battles for him, but if you’d actually read his actual blog entry, you’d also have seen that he didn’t want handouts, and that he wanted to actually provide his readers/fans/”friends” with something in return for their help and goodwill.
   Finally, if you don’t care for the honest fundraising effort, and if you wish to simply denigrate, degrade, and snipe, then I’m sure I speak for many readers/fans/”friends” when I say that you’re free to move right along.

9. “Seriously, Wil, pay your own bills.”
   I’d venture to say that that is exactly what he’s doing. Like all the people on ebay, or all the people out there in the world holding garage sales. Sell stuff off = make money. warcrygirl, if you’ve got a problem with this concept, you’ve got about a billion other people to go screaming to about it. Come back when you’ve learned some manners.

10. And I would NEVER have a cheesy auction to pay for the bills.
    Never say never, warcrygirl… Some day you may get slapped with unexpected expenses–and that happens to a whole lot of people–and find yourself hawking stuff on Ebay to pay it off. And you won’t see anything wrong with it. You’ll simply be thinking you’re selling some of your stuff to raise money to pay your bills.
    This is no different.
    Wil has a product. He has something people want and are willing to pay for, and he has a need to generate a significant amount of cash so that he can be an honorable person and pay a debt he owes. He’s not sitting here saying, “um, yeah, gimmee your money.” He’s selling a product. Something many, many people have been asking for.
    I guarantee that if I had this kind of audience, I’d be putting my own books up for grabs to pay off my own considerable debt (or perhaps I should have procurred myself a cheaper brain to make sure I didn’t get such an expensive tumor on it…?) Because, seriously, even with good medical coverage and a really good income, you can find yourself up to your eyeballs in debt because of a single uncovered medical incident.
    You just never know what’s going to happen. One day you’re getting by just fine, the next there’s a huge medical bill–your own or your pets–staring at you, and you whatever you have to do to pay it. Seems to me this venue is a lot better than just not paying it, wich s what some people would do.

11. I am always a day late! I would love a book, have the money. SIGH>>>>> Good luck Wil if you need more my family is there for you. you have a good soul.

12. It amazes me that anyone would criticize Wil for selling material that he created. You wouldn’t bash a painter for selling autographed prints of his work to pay his bills, and this is absolutely no different. Wil’s fans get something they want, at what is obviously a fair price to them, and Wil gets money he needs to pay off some bills. There’s nothing unethical or immoral about it.

13. twarcrygirl-
    I am so dumbfounded by how some people can actually feel justified about bringing others down. I mean, grow up, instead of being the ‘whitty back-talking word-slinger who got one up on wil’ that you must think you are to even venture such a post, you have shown us that you are an ill-mannered, stuck-up, undignified twit who is not above still throwing a childish tantrum.

14. :blushes:
    I am dumbfounded by myself. Please replace ‘others’ with ‘good-hearted people’.
    Where’s the edit button???

15. Wil,
    Is there a way I can get my copy of the book signed with a witty comment for a donation? LMK, thanks 🙂

16. I’m not a real big fan of self-righteously indignant people who think it’s just A-OK to spout off a bunch of crap at me. So, welcome to bannination, warcrygirl. I’m sure you can find a sympathetic ear over on Live Journal, or maybe in the Star Wars line at Grauman’s.
    And not that it matters, or that it’s really anyone’s business, but I don’t get paid for ACME. I do it because I love to perform. In fact, I’ve had to turn down more than one paying gig because it conflicted with an ACME performance.
    Continuing down that path, I was lucky enough to freeroll into the WPT Championship in Vegas, and everyone who played got a room at the Bellagio. And when I was knocked out, and didn’t get the free buffet any more? I went across the street where it was cheaper to eat. And I didn’t gamble, because I couldn’t afford it.
    I’m doing whatever I can to support my family, pay my bills, and sock money away for Ryan and Nolan to go to college. I’m so terribly, terribly sorry that my methods don’t meet with your oh-so-important approval. Excuse me while I don’t give a shit what you think.

17. Hi Wil,
    I don’t normally venture into the comments… here be dragons and all that, but in case no one has suggested it for the future… Pet Insurance is great for peace of mind.
    We lost a pooch a year ago to cancer and the emotional drain is tough enough without having to have those $ issues bouncing around in your head.
    Our other doggie is fully covered for just pennies a day (actually for about a $1 and a few pennies) and it is the best thing we have ever done. We use VPI and are quite happy with them. (http://www.petinsurance.com/)

18. Working for free ’cause you love what you do. How much better does it get? You rock! You really, truly rock.
    Oh, AND you provide for your family. You work harder than most of us, I think. And then some whacko has to attack you for having the nerve to actually sell the book that you wrote. Unfreakinbelievable.
    Now I wish I’d bought 2 books, dammit. Sell the other one and I’m in!!
    ~Susan

19. Hi Wil,
    Like everyone else I’m sorry for your loss.
    I ordered your book through PayPal, but am not sure if I was one of the first 100. Does anyone know how I can find out? If I wasn’t one of the first 100, what happens?
    Wil – I’d love to get a book. Any chance you could get enough to send out to all the people who completed an order (even if they weren’t in the top 100)?
    Thanks and take care

20. BMG: I’ll do everything I can to fill all the orders, even if it means going to my local Borders (Hi Jessie!) and buying whatever they have on hand (which is usually one copy. Thanks for nothing, O’Reilly).
    In the unlikely event that I can’t fill an order, I’ll use the magnificent “refund” feature from PayPal to make sure you get your money back.

21. Damn Wil, I just love you. No wonder I’ve been a loyal Wheaton Fan for 20 years… you don’t put up with any shit.
    I know what you are going through, and I know how much it hurts. Just hang in there kiddo.
    And good for you, putting up some of your assets to earn money. I know it was hard for you to do. But it’s fucking reality. Personally, I sell on ebay and overstock to earn a living (and people pay me thru paypal). Just because you are a celebrity doesn’t mean you can’t do what everyone else does. You shouldn’t have to defend yourself, but some people are so narrow-minded, sometimes you have to.
    You keep doing what you’re doing and don’t ever feel bad about it. You have to make a living too. Those of us with IQ’s higher than ‘people that stand in the wrong line to see Star Wars’ understand that just because you are a celebrity doesn’t mean you have a free ride in life.
    🙂 Kel

22. Did I say that last line right???
    (as I’m grabbing for my ADHD medication, seriously)…
    Sometimes I confuse myself. (Hard to believe I have an IQ of 145, isn’t it)
    🙂 Kel

23. May I get a copy of Dancing Barefoot, please,oh, pretty please? I was able to find JAG at a local bookstore, not that I wouldn’t love a signed copy (I definitely would!) but I know you’re sold out.
    So, may I get a copy of Dancing Barefoot? Thanks!
    Jen in Illinois

24. must’ve been the ‘fundraiser’ word that freaked out warcrygirl. suggesting that selling the book(s) you wrote is anything less than… um… normal/rational/logical is just plain crazy. that sort of thinking is kinda like saying that using your time to do work for someone else in exchange for payment is prostituting oneself, I daresay. I am continually amazed by the things people say.
    anyway, Wil – I’m just wondering if you’ve looked into anything like cafepress.com as a temporary measure even? (I heard of it because I was/am part of a project called ‘blogs of beauty’ that was supposed to be sold via cafepress). this kind of service might be a good ‘stop-gap’ method to get more books out quickly, since you can upload all the material to cafepress.com & they will print each book purchased, on demand. here’s the URL, if you’re interested in looking at it: http://www.cafepress.com/. good luck whatever you do, and I’ll look forward to my chance to get all your works :).
    l.
    x

25. Actually, I was just over at Cafepress earlier today perusing some of Wil’s wares (I gotta get one of those convention T-shirts! Too funny, and a great ‘cultural artifact’ to wear to class!), thus he may already know about the publishing end? It’s too bad that O’Reilly is not getting it into stores in quantity (I think I saw two at the local Borders the last time I was there).
    I will reserve any comments for warcrygirl since she is banninated. I will say that the issue resonates for me; when my Dad got brain cancer and the bills were piling up he got very innovative about selling his art (he was on disability but loved to paint and had tried to make a living at it several times). His hospice even hosted a fundraiser where he sold the paintings, and he generated a couple of grand to pay the bills. It did not save his life, in the end, but it did show how much he cared about my mom, and to an extent me. It is totally the perogative of the artist, the afflicted, or those they love to sell their wares and talent to make the money needed to pay for care in times of need.
    Wow, that is a lot of prepositional phrases! 🙂 But you get the point. . . . Like my dad, Wil has taken responsibility for the decision to get care, no matter the expense, and that is a fine, noble thing. And he is doing it in a creative way that gives people something that they obviously REALLY want. Sounds beneficial all around! And much healthier than those folks who are shelling out $300 to buy an invitation from the wedding of the latest Runaway Bride. People are helping out and building ties and appreciating art and communication. That is quite kewl, says I. . . .

26. yup, agreed sunpony. sorry about your dad, that must’ve been an awful thing for all of your family to go through.
    actually, I just came back because I had meant to say first time that re: the books/cafepress.com it might not be possible for Wil depending on his prior publishing contract… but silly me, I hadn’t even looked to see if there was any Wil Wheaton stuff there already (must go look now). so… turned out to be a bit useless as a suggestion, but oh well ;).
    on a more general note, don’t you just love the opportunities the internet has opened up? besides the whole ‘instant’ communication thing between people from different walks of life & in different parts of the world, I think it’s really cool that there are so many ways people can make a living &/or just fulfill their creative urges, using services on the internet. wondrous.
    l.
    x

27. I haven’t been here in a while.
    You’ve got some great readers/fans. Impressive.
    This may sound corny, but I tell my 7 year old son when ever one of his pets dies, beta, frog or snail–there’s a heaven for the pets we’ve loved. I belive that.

28. hi wil –
    me lurk you long time. thanks for sharing your life with me, i really admire you. i placed a belated order for an autographed copy of just a geek for my new husband (we’ve been married almost two weeks) this evening, and would love for you to have my fifty dollars whether or not you can send me a book. I would also like to go on record as being very interested in easing your vet bill burden further by taking a copy of dancing barefoot off your hands.

29. hi wil –
    me lurk you long time. thanks for sharing your life with me, i really admire you. i placed a belated order for an autographed copy of just a geek for my new husband (we’ve been married almost two weeks) this evening, and would love for you to have my fifty dollars whether or not you can send me a book. I would also like to go on record as being very interested in easing your vet bill burden further by taking a copy of dancing barefoot off your hands.

30. Dear Wil,
    i was wondering if i can still donate later this week or early next week?
    i wont have money in my paypal till next week, and is there a way i can maybe get a signed copy of dancing barefoot, please. i didnt get a chance to buy a signed copy of just a geek (just goes to show how popular you are:)cause they went so fast. please let me know. im a huge fan, as well as pet lover, but wether i get a book or not, i promise, i will still donate. take care and god bless

31. Add me in for the “would like to contribute but has budget constraints” category.
    Not that I’m going to check, but if anyone has done the “buy low, sell on e-bay high, pocket the profit” deal for this, I swear… Not the right spirit dude. (Just had that horrible thought when I wondered how the desperate would be able to get a copy). On the other hand, if Wil comes up with a signed manuscript of some sort, something one of a kind, and puts it up via e-bay, would people be interested? (Wil, you might consider saving a few copies if you get another batch of books for e-bay auction donations for a pet charities of your choice to help out “kitty friends in memory of Felix and Sketch”.)
    We have an aging dog with medical issues and I told my mom about how you had to let one kitty go, then another just… We really felt for you and your family and looked at our happy doggie (she’s a spunky one) then at each other. Thanks for giving us an opportunity to share something with you for putting into words the sorrow at the sickness and passing of a pet. It’s also nice to see the concept of community so well demonstrated where people just want to help out.
    Random thought- if you save your change in coin-jars, take them to the coinstar or handroll them. We “reclaimed” a few hundred dollars that way. I was astounded at the huge amount.

32. Well, I have refrained from comment all day, so I guess, as the day is nearly spent, that I, too, must drop my two cents on the floor. I have read each and every comment regarding this particular entry, which many who have posted comments have not, as they are often repeating each other. I am not a great lover of animals, as you are Wil, but I can respect the love one feels for a family member. Though I doubt the bond is quite the same as with flesh of your flesh, etc., I do realize that to many, such as yourself, your pets are, in a way, like your own children at best, but very close friends, at the least. I think it is a powerful statement about your capacity to love that you were willing to lay down seven large to try to save your little friends(family). I don’t recall anything being written by you stating that your family had gone without, or that you were on a drunken gambling binge in Vegas (probably looking for Spongebob). I do recall you mentioning that you wouldn’t just take donations, instead, you wanted to give something back, in the form of an autographed book. It would have been easy to just say, “gimme, I need money” and your thousands upon thousands of loyal fans would have caused your bank account to overflow. You have shown love to your pets and integrity to your fans. (raising a mug) Here’s to you, Wil Wheaton, may you long reign as America’s favourite blogger.
    PS- I think several people have raised a couple of valid points. As loyal readers I think it only fair that you give them an opportunity to give to “the FUND”. Also, I agree that a charitable foundation would be superior, however, there is a certain cost involved for the books, so, how about 50% of the proceeds to benefit (fill in animal charity of your choice) Maybe list several charities and allow us loyal readers to vote. It would rock, and it would be a great way to honor your pets.

33. just another pro-pet insurance post here. i have VPI for my two pet bunnies and they have never given me any trouble with claims. they don’t cover everything but they do cover a heck of a lot. i should know; i’ve submitted enough claims. they won’t cover pre-existing conditions, though, so it’s best to get it early if you don’t already have it. riley and ferris (those are their names, right?) will be thankful.

34. Bugger! I was waiting for this and am a wee bit too late.
    Sure, I could go out and grab them in the store, but I’d much rather the money went directly to you, as the artist, than through the system. If it helps with your frighteningly large vet bills, all the better.
    As I don’t yet have either book, I’m easy on what’s available, but didn’t want to go through the fundraiser page yet because I’d prefer to confirm that you’re able to ship to Australia or can let me now how much extra shipping is involved.
    Which is all a moot point if you’ve been cleaned out of stock by people much quicker off the mark than I’ve been today.

35. I’m not a real big fan of self-righteously indignant people…
    *gasp!*
    who think it’s just A-OK to spout off a bunch of crap at me.
    *whew!*
    You know, I’m always a little late to the party. Sucks that all the books are gone. Wil, I’ll join everyone else who missed out in saying that if you can find more copies of Just A Geek or Dancing Barefoot to autograph I’ll buy one of each. I’m with Red Wolf–I ordered your books through my university’s interlibrary loan and they were awesome, but when I buy them I’d much rather have the cash go directly to you.

36. Don’t know what happened but my original order didn’t go through, so I did it again. So there ya go, Wil. I hope it helps.

37. Figures, I redo my order and they’re gone. Oh well. I’m glad you got the responses you did and again I hope it helps.

38. Wil,
    Some friendly advice: Wait an hour before you respond to anyone giving you a hard time. If you do that, someone will more than likely come to your defense and things will be smoother that way.
    When you only take the time to respond to negative posts, guess what kind of post people will start to write?
    And the poster who was talking about “get a cheaper pet…”–that post didn’t deserve a response at all. It wasn’t even that hostile, just someone who views animals differently than you do. (Some people have an “animals come, animals go” kind of view, many who live on farms for instance.)
    So let it go. Take the high ground.
    I love your site and I love the fact that you allow people to comment, but you will have to get used to the fact that you will never get 100% approval/adoration/support. And that’s okay.
    Me, I’d settle for 25%. 🙂
    -n

39. My mouth dropped open in shock when I read those warcrygirl’s obliviously tactless post but will avoid jumping into teh ring. It’s got enough bodies.
    I know this isn’t worth much, but you have my emotional support. I realize that’s not as helpful as financial support but maybe there’s comfort in knowing that there’s one more person in the world who’s not insensitive. I already have JAG and can’t afford $50 right now.
    It reminds me that a couple of years ago I commented on the “Wil Wheaton has a posse” thongs (back when I posted as “delphine”) but never bought one. Maybe it’s time. Congratulations on selling out and good luck with the rest of the fundraising.
    Don’t let the assholes get you down. There are many more people who care about Uncle Wil.

40. I forgot to post this part:
    Wil said, In the unlikely event that I can’t fill an order, I’ll use the magnificent “refund” feature from PayPal to make sure you get your money back.
    How about sending out an email to those people first informing them of a refund? Then they have the option of declining it.
    “That’s okay, I did it for Sketch and Felix, not for the book.”
    People are so nice.

41. Hey!!! Fundraiser idea II. Could one of the online poker sites allow us to do a charitable tournament on their site? A thousand of us who love hold’em, which I had never watched or played prior to reading your blog, could each donate 5-10 dollars and the winner of the tournament could have the total funds donated in their name. Doable? I don’t know, I just want to sit at the final table with Big Willy! I think it would be a fun way to spend/donate a few bucks, and it would allow quite a few who were short the fifty an opportunity to feel a part of the love.

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