WWdN: the fundraiser

Comments (141)

1. Oh my God, I’m first! Great idea Wil, I’ll do it.

2. I’m there for you, Wil. Just ordered mine. Anyway I can help. Oh, and count me in for Dancing Barefoot as well.

3. Me three! Great idea and I’m happy to contribute.

4. Thanks, Wil! I just ordered mine, too. And I’m definitely interested in DB. This is pretty much my only opp. to get autographed copies, and it’s in a good cause as well. Cool!

5. I resized the images, so you can either use my links, or copy them to your site. so modem users won’t be hit as hard.
   http://www.csupomona.edu/~cwevans/001_IMG_3199_SIZED.JPG
   http://www.csupomona.edu/~cwevans/001_IMG_5293_SIZED.JPG

6. Just ordered mine.. Any chance you can put up Dancing Barefoot as well? I’ve had it on my Amazon wish list for since it came out, but nobody’s gotten it for me yet. I’ll take matters into my own hands if I have to. 😉

7. I just ordered a copy. Yay! We are interested in getting DB autographed too. 🙂

8. hey wil,
   i have been visiting wwdn for years and i feel for you, i really do. a couple of years ago my cat had to have emergency surgery for feline urinary syndrome. the bills were about $2000 and at the time i was out of work and only had $500 to my name! recently, my dog had to have emergency spinal surgery to to tune of $3500, but i was able to cover that OK.
   but back to the cat incident . . . i don’t know if you remember, but i emailed you at the time and begged you to put a link on wwdn to my paypal donation site for my cat. i figured an animal lover like yourself would understand and help a poor guy and his cat out. my vet was actually holding my kitty hostage until i could pay the entire amount (which i was able to raise in a matter of three days). you ignored my request, which is fine . . . i figured you don’t want things like that on your website and that is understandable. but now the story changes, wil. i am almost certain that you had little trouble covering the $7000 veterinary bills (if you did have trouble, please correct me). but now you want people, who probably have less expendable income than you, to contribute to your cats’ vet bills that are already paid for when you wouldn’t even help one of your loyal readers out. what gives, man?

9. badams Actually, it was an incredible financial burden on me and my family. Each visit Sketch made to the vet was upwards of 300 dollars for X-rays, MRIs and blood work. Eventually, we decided that we just couldn’t afford to take him any more, and I’ve spent more than a few sleepless nights wondering if one more visit could have given us the information we neede to increase or change his medication.
   Thanks for assuming you know exactly how much disposable income I have, though, and what is and isn’t affordable for me. That’s some pretty impressive psychic skill you’ve got there.
   And if you could point out exactly where I “expect” anyone to do anything, I’d really appreciate it.
   Thanks.

10. This is a wonderful idea, Wil.
    I’m going to offer you another one for the rest of your furry kids.
    http://www.petinsurance.com/
    http://www.petcareinsurance.com/
    Either of these programs are very highly rated (the first one a friend of mine uses for all of her furbabies).
    The same as any insurance program, it’s the kind of thing you hope you never need. But if you do, you’ll be grateful you’ve signed up for it.

11. I’d be interested in a signed copy of Dancing Barefoot and willing to donate to your cause that way. I’m figuring that a cheaper price on DB would result in a smaller total expense. I just can’t afford $50 right now.

12. Quick question:
    I am assuming that it would be in US dollars, correct? Just trying to see if I have it in my budget to do the exchange from CAD.
    I’m sorry to hear about your recent loss, and if I can, you can count on a purchase from me.

13. wil,
    thank you for your prompt reply. look, man . . . it is none of my business how much money you have. it was wrong for me to assume anything about your finances.
    to answer your question, i never said that you expected anyone to do anything. i said you “want” people to help you out. that is true, isn’t it?
    the point of my entry was only to point out the fact that you ignored a request from one of your fans for doing the exact same thing that you are trying to do. the only reason i brought up finances is because at the time of my hardship, i only had $500 to cover a $2000 vet bill. your situation may have been different. that’s all.
    also, i need to remember that this is your website, not mine or anyone else’s. if you want to raise funds for your animals, and not help any of your readers out with raising funds for their animals, then so be it.

14. badams:
    Dude. Do you have any idea of the number of people that Wil might have asking him “to do just this one thing” for them? He is one person that we all “know”. There are a LOT of us (hundreds, nay, thousands) for him to know. I feel for your situation, but for Wil to ask us to help out by exchanging cash for a personalized copy of “Just A Geek” is vastly different than trying to get a celeb to sponser a link for your cause. Maybe if he had known you better, he might have done it. Maybe if he wasn’t getting tons of email with similar potential requests, he might have done it.
    As for him being able to cover his vet bills. Do you read this blog or not? Wil may not be in the poor house, but he ain’t rich. He has to budget just like us “regular” folks. Please stop being oblivious. We read/listen to this blog for FREE. All the events, happy and painful, are here for us to read, comment, agree or not for FREE.
    So, basically, get off the man’s back. He is carrying enough right now.

15. I’d definitely be interested in Dancing Barefoot.

16. Consider this a post contributing to interest in Dancing Barefoot, too 🙂

17. Hey Wil,
    I would be happy to buy a copy of Just a Geek. I looked for it but can’t find here in Toronto.
    The problem I have is I don’t have access to a credit card right now. Let’s just say that if American Express and I were married, I would be sleeping tonight at my buddy Cory’s house until she decides whether she will let me move back in or just sell everything and move back to her mother’s house.
    1) Would you accept a paypal payment?
    2) For an additional $25 bucks or so, how about some head to head play on Trident poker. (For play money)
    -Chris

18. Wil, I would cheerfully love to have a signed copy of DB. I think it would make a lovely gift to my DH who is still trying to figure out why I think “the guy who played a character I didn’t like” is so cool. If I can learn, so can he.
    *here’s hoping my budget allows for a copy of “JAG”*

19. the point of my entry was only to point out the fact that you ignored a request from one of your fans for doing the exact same thing that you are trying to do. the only reason i brought up finances is because at the time of my hardship, i only had $500 to cover a $2000 vet bill. your situation may have been different. that’s all.
    Excuse me badams:
    But are you and Wil personal friends or did I miss something? No offense, but how is he (or the rest of us) supposed to know if what you’re asking is real or a scam?
    You’re criticizing the man for not posting a link about a situation he’s completely unfamiliar with. Yes, Wil has a very widely read blog. But does that mean that he’s obligated to post a link provided by a complete stranger who’s asking for money from other people?
    That’s putting a very unfair responsibility on him. If he were to post such links he could be considered liable for for anything that turned out to be a scam.
    I’m not trying to be heartless. Simply stating the facts.

20. What a great idea, I should probably order – it’d make a great gift, or a replacement for me, if the one I lent to a friend never comes home! : )
    Oh, but Wil, don’t you know that once you’ve done one thing in Hollywood, you’re insanely rich and beyond all care? All movie stars live in big mansions up on the hill, and have servants waiting on them hand and foot! ; ) Ah, the version of reality that some folks live in. . .

21. Hey Wil,
    Even though I already own a copy of JAG, I just ordered another one just to give you a hand. Besides, this makes my collection of autographed WW merchandise complete, and the power of the dark side is now strong..
    Oh, wait, that’s the wrong movie. But at least I’m not quoting lines from the most recent play I was in, right?

22. Wil-
    I understand very well the financial burden a sick cat can take! My 5 cats have had a multitude of medical problems. We’ve spent thousands as well. I’m so sorry about your loss!
    Badams-
    You are a jerk. You expect someone to put a link for every single person that spends $2000 on their animals, on his website? I think not. He’d have to dedicate an entire site to such a thing.Plus, how could he ever sort out scams from reality? I’ve spent the same amount on my cats. Give me a handout, please, just b/c you are famous. /sarcasm. Fans of Wil asked him how they could help. He gave them a way. He’s not begging or expecting anything.

23. Only 100 copies?
    I hope you have a method of getting more or that you’re keeping track of how many are being ordered. I’d hate to get a note back saying you’d run out of copies before you were able to process my order.
    Either that or I’m vastly over estimating the number of WWdN readers are going to take advantage of this unique opportunity.

24. i understand, guys. i was completely off-base. the legal aspect of wil hawking for someone else (that he doesn’t know) makes perfect sense. i guess i wasn’t thinking that way, because i would never take advantage of somebody like that. sorry, wil, for freaking out on you.

25. marla,
    i am not a jerk and neither are you. i don’t expect anyone to do anything and i never said wil was begging or expecting anything from anybody. i was wrong . . . plain and simple!

26. badams:
    Given that you have seen the errors of your ways, I suppose we can let you live. 🙂
    Thank you for being strong enough to apoligize. It is a rare thing to see.

27. Yeah, only humorless, self-righteous Star Wars Alpha Nerds who are in line at the wrong theatre (in protest) refuse to accept apologies.
    Thank you, badams. No hard feelings.

28. Well this is my first post although I have been reading since about 2002. Sorry about your cats Wil, I know how much it sucks to lose a pet, I lost my dog last year and had my cat at the vets yesterday (after reading this for the last month or so I freaked, luckily she just needed to use the litterbox quite badly (who knew)).
    Anyway more to the point, great job on the site it is nice to see a celeb that realises they are actually human and even nicer to see a celeb that loves linux.
    I just ordered your book, funny I was about to order it at amazon for $16.47 when I saw this and figured it is for a better cause.

29. thanks wil. my (previously mentioned) canine, who is recovering from spinal surgery, is still paralyzed, has no control of his bodily functions and is very sad. needless to say, he has been keeping me up all night, and for some reason, i am overly-irritated today. wil wheaton just happened to be the guy i took all my frustrations out on. this is completely unfair to you and i sincerely apologize. thank you for being you 🙂

30. Hey wil,
    Seeing as i was the first person to suggest the pay pal thingy….:P Could you reserve one for me?
    (even if the books are gone Ill still give help ya out though)
    I’ll sort out the payment when I get home.
    How much would it cost to post to Ireland?

31. Wil,
    Just placed an order there, But unsure if you’re able to post it to Ireland or not. If you’re not able to or even if its a whole pile of hassle, dont bother sending on the book, I would have given the money even if it was just a paypal thing anyway, so no worries.
    Noel

32. I apologise if my question has been answered elsewhere, or is self-evident, but would you be able to ship overseas? Specifically to the UK?
    I already own JAG, but would love to have a signed copy. I’d be willing to donate extra to covered shipping if given an idea of how much.

33. Jeez PayPal makes impulse buying WAY too easy… at least it’s for a good cause. The last fund raiser I was in was for a goat for people in Hong Kong – never had much proof that it got there.

34. Well, I must admit I was moved by your heartfelt words about the pain you, your family, and your cats have gone through. Being a cat-owner myself, I couldn’t imagine going through it. So, I decided $50 US wasn’t a bad price to pay to help out a struggling writer with his vet bills (although I might have preferred Dancing Barefoot)… so I clicked on the link and discovered, much to my chagrin, that there was nothing said anywhere about shipping to Canada. No provinces listed in the “State” field and no mention of shipping costs if it was going north of the border.
    Being the geek that you are Wil, surely you realize that your blog is on the Internet… and thereby readable by people who hated Wesley but like this Wheaton character all over the world? And while I realize that such far-flung places as Nigeria or New Zealand may be cumbersome, how about some love for your brothers and sisters shivering away in the Great White North? I know Canada’s easy to miss, all tucked away down there, but we’re literate too! Also, we like the kitties.
    Umm… to sum up. Any way to get one of those up here?

35. p.s. if the fundraising goes well (which it prob should) It’d be cool to donate anything over the

36. Terrific idea, Wil!
    My copy JAG had been waiting patiently to be read up until a week or so ago. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated everything you put into the book and how much I enjoyed it. My girlfriend had to keep asking me if I was going crazy as I’d just burst out laughing at some of the parts.
    Anyway, happy to be able to help you out as well as obtain a personalized version. I hope to fly out to CA sometime and check out ACME or a reading sometime.
    Best wishes,
    Toby

37. Well, I can’t afford one right now, but I did the next best thing – I asked everyone else to get me one.
    I probably won’t get one, but maybe some other people will buy one for themselves. I have a lot of cat owners for friends.

38. Just ordered my copy! I noted that some other posters gave you some links to animal insurance. It’s really a good idea. After spending over $1200 on my horse in less than 10 hours and $2500 on my dog for two leg surgies, the insurance makes a lot of sense. Check it out and is usually reasonably priced.

39. Wil: I already have your Just A Geek (loved it by the way). If/when you hold a fund-raiser for “Do you want kids with that” let me know. I’d happily spend $50 for an autographed copy of that.

40. Wil, I would be glad to donate you a few bucks for your bills, but cannot afford $50 right now. If you don’t mind me sending you $5 via paypal I’ll do it.

41. Hey, Wil!
    I have a friend in Israel who was wondering if this was only offered through PayPal. Some of the international folks have problems using that.

42. I just ordered a copy, happy to help out. I wanted to support the comments made earlier about pet insurance. I have it for my three cats (at a multi-cat discount). You still have to pay the bills first. The vet fills out some paperwork and you submit a claim. Animals with pre-existing conditions may not qualify. It’s not perfect, but it’s something.
    Best wishes to you and Anne as you move through these sad days. It will get better. And Felix and Sketch were so lucky to have you.

43. Turns out that my friend wants to give it to me.
    So, if there is something that can be worked out, you wouldn’t be mailing it to Israel, you’d be mailing it to Oklahoma.
    (I promise to read it to my cat George.)

44. Wil, I’m definitely in if there are any books left on Thursday (payday and all). But I’m crossing my fingers that there won’t be – not because I don’t want to help, but because that will mean your fundraiser has been a success!
    My heart goes out to you on your loss.
    And to those who might think a little less of Wil for doing this – frankly, it’s just another example of what a Good Person(tm) Wil is. Many other people, especially if they have a strong following, have no problems in putting up a donate link to simply pay for bandwidth or for the next release of The Sims: Doggie Style. Wil is offering something very cool and tangible as part of his fundraiser and in return we’re able to help out someone who did right by his animal companions and just needs a little help dealing with the financial aspects of that. If we were all so honorable in our intentions, then the world might be a better place.

45. I really like this site, I like how your life is as real as anyone else’s and how you appreciate things in life on a daily basis. Odd as it is, I learned about this site because I invest in Red Hat stock, it just led me here, odd how things work like that.

46. Wil, you said you didn’t “feel right taking something for nothing”. But, you give us readers a lot more than ‘nothing’. You pour your heart out to us in your blog, which we read for free, and you are such a good writer that it enriches our lives. I lost my 16 year old cat to kidney disease on April 11, and reading your blog and knowing that you were feeling the same things I was made me feel like I wasn’t alone in my grief. Not that I wanted anyone else to suffer as I was, but reading your blog and the associated comments made me feel like it was ok to be grieving for my Roosky and that I would eventually come to terms with it. The same sort of thing happens when I read about your parenting experiences and relate them to my own kids, etc. So, you have already given us readers a lot, and if you want to put up a ‘donation’ box beside the book purchase box, that would be totally fine with me (and I’m sure a lot of others). I already have both of your books, and I can’t afford $50 US right now, but if a lot of us donate $5-10, it would add up for you. Please consider it. Thanks!

47. Wil,
    I put in my order. I look forward to getting a signed copy of your book and I’m more than happy to help you out! I just hope you haven’t run out of JAG! 🙂
    And you should take ShelaghC’s advice about getting pet insurance. We should all do everything we can to make sure we don’t lose our beloved furry friends. Especially when you only have one left. 🙁

48. I’d be interesting in an autographed copy os Dancing Barefoot as well.
    Now, off to order JAG.

49. Hey Wil,
    You answered my prayers!! I have been wondering and praying for some way I could help! I mean, living thousands of miles away just puts a complete damper on everything. I have always said if there is anyway I could help out I would. I am buying your book right after I finish typing this message!! This will make my second copy of JAG to own which is great.
    I have been reading the one I bought a few weeks ago, and can’t put it down. It is the best book I have ever read, and I’m not just saying that! There is one problem I have been having. I love the book so much I do not want to handle it very much. Am I weird or what? Really, when I am reading the book I will handle it with the tips of my fingers so I don’t rip the cover or anything!
    Yeah, well, it means that much to me!! Now that I will have two copies I can put the one you sign up so nothing will happen to it, because if it did I would die, because this is probably the closest I will come to meeting you for a while!! I would love to come to one of your shows, but my time is absolutly crazy right now!! I know yours is also! I will attend your show one day. I cannot wait to meet you, not only because you are one of my VERY favorite actors, but because of the kind, caring person you are!! I really do admire your attitude on things. If you decide to put up anymore pay pals, I’m there for you!! Always. The best to you, Anne, and the Kids! Oh, as for badams, well you know where he/she can go!!

50. Ah, sadly I aleady have a copy and cannot afford to spend $50 this month, but I will pimp this in my blog – maybe someone will want to get one. It kind of has the right clientele reading it, after all … .

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