3. An Overview of LeakyCon 2012
LeakyCon is a conference just for fans—presented by fans.
LeakyCon is a fan conference for fans presented by fans. LeakyCon will take
place August 9 through 12, 2012 at the Chicago Hilton in
Chicago, IL, and will give fans a chance to celebrate J.K. Rowling’s stories
about the boy who lived. The Harry Potter novels have spread messages of
friendship, community and love. These three principles guide LeakyCon —
with the important addition of fun. The four-day long conference provides
an opportunity for attendees to experience an exciting, enlightening, safe,
and magical weekend with their fellow Potter fans and book lovers.
LeakyCon will feature unique keynote events, speaker panels, roundtables,
and formal academic programming. Fans will also experience informal
events including rock concerts, a quidditch tournament, costume contests,
podcasts, a vendor room and craft show, and a charity ball.
The conference works to support such charities as the Harry Potter Alliance,
a non-profit organization that champions such causes as disaster relief and
social equality. The conference will also benefit Book Aid International,
the This Star Won’t Go Out Foundation and other smaller charitable
organizations. In 2011, LeakyCon donated over $120,000 to various
charitable causes, and charitable giving continues to be at the forefront
of our priorities for 2012. For more information on the charities involved
with LeakyCon, please see the charity information page in this press kit.
OVERVIEW
4. Team StarKid performs during LeakyCon 2011
LeakyCon will also include appearances, performances, and special events
featuring the wildly successful theater troupe and YouTube sensation
Team StarKid, as well as actors from the Harry Potter films, including
Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), Louis Cordice (Blaise Zabini),
William Melling (Nigel Wolpert), and Robbie Jarvis (Young James Potter).
Other special events will include a premiere of the fan made documentary,
“Real for Us: Fandom, Friendship and the Boy who Lived,” and performances
from nine musical acts, including Harry and the Potters, The Whomping
Willows, Alex Carpenter, and Meghan Tonjes. This year, LeakyCon will also
feature LeakyStars, a talent competition showcasing fans from within the
community inspired by their favorite fandoms.
Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch (Luna
Lovegood) on stage with Wizard Rocker
LeakyCon will also present LitTrack, a special two-day “conference within
Brian Ross of Draco and the Malfoys
at LeakyCon 2011 a conference” focusing on Children’s and Young Adult literature. Planned
in coordination with New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson,
the lineup of writers, agents, and editors includes heavy-hitting industry
professionals such as New York Times bestselling authors John Green,
Lev Grossman, Holly Black, Margaret Stohl, and more.
OVERVIEW
5. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be able to continue to grow and evolve
LeakyCon as our own fandom grows,” said Melissa Anelli, the conference’s
organizer. “LeakyCon is a place where fans can come together and celebrate
a decade and a half of community and charity, and continue to pay tribute to
the novels that brought us all together.”
We are honored to bring LeakyCon to the fans once again, and to be
celebrating in the great city of Chicago. Please find additional information
about the conference throughout this press kit and email press@leakycon.com
with any questions.
Wizard Rockers Paul and Joe DeGeorge (Harry
and the Potters) perfom during LeakyCon 2011
OVERVIEW
6. SPECIAL EVENTS
A Very StarKid Event (II)
A special musical event featuring the cast of performers from Team StarKid
that will include singing, dancing, and a question and answer session. In
addition, Team StarKid will be performing a staged reading of the much
anticipated follow-up to their YouTube sensations A Very Potter Musical and
A Very Potter Sequel, titled A Very Potter 3D: A Very Potter Senior Year. These
spoof Harry Potter musicals have been global hits, collecting tens of millions
of views on YouTube. Confirmed attendees to LeakyCon include: Julia
Albain, Chris Allen, Clark Baxtresser, Jaime Lyn Beatty, Tyler Brunsman,
Richard Campbell, Britney Coleman, Brant Cox, Darren Criss, Denise
Donovan, Corey Dorris, Elona Finlay, Arielle Goldman, Brian Holden, A.J.
Holmes, Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Lauren Lopez, Corey Lubowich, Devin Lytle,
Lily Marks, Alle-Faye Monka, Joe Moses, Jim Povolo, Joey Richter, Brian
Rosenthal, Dylan Saunders, Meredith Stepien, Sango Tajima, and JoeWalker.
Esther Earl Rocking Charity Ball
The Esther Earl Rocking Charity Ball will be a time for fans to come together
to dance and celebrate on the last evening of the conference. Esther was an
avid Harry Potter fan and supporter of the Harry Potter Alliance who lost her
fight against cancer in August 2010. Her family, friends, and fans have worked
to keep her spirit and memory alive through the This Star Won’t Go Out
Foundation, created in her honor and dedicated to raising money for families
with children suffering from cancer. We are proud to work with the This Star
Won’t Go Out Foundation to remember Esther, and we cannot think of a
better way to honor her memory than with a celebration!
Leaky Rock
On the evenings of August 9 and August 10, fans will be treated to rock
concerts featuring a variety of performers who sing about everything from
Harry Potter to The Hunger Games to Lost. The line-up will feature
Meghan Tonjes, Tonks and the Aurors, Alex Carpenter, Ministry of Magic,
Gred and Forge, Lauren Fairweather, The Whomping Willows, Hank Green,
and Harry and the Potters.
SPECIAL EVENTS
7. Special Guest Biographies
Evanna Lynch
Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) answered an open casting call for the role
of Luna Lovegood in 2006, and her life was changed forever. She went from
being one of the series’ most ardent fans to the cinematic personification of
one of the fans’ favorite characters. She was fourteen years old, and had only
acted in school plays before; she took to the role with a level of passion and
spirit only a true fan can apply. She has played Luna in the final half of the
Potter films to acclaim by fans and critics alike, and remains one of Harry
Potter’s most enthusiastic supporters.
Evanna has also turned her creativity to fashion, bringing to life Luna’s
famous radish earrings, as well as designing the lion hat worn by Luna in
the sixth film. She has actively supported charity efforts such as the Multiple
Sclerosis Society of Ireland and the HP Alliance, speaking out on issues
of self-esteem and body image. Evanna attended LeakyCon 2011 and
has recently moved to the United States to pursue her acting career, and
travelled to Malta to film her first post-Potter role.
Louis Cordice
Louis Cordice (Blaise Zabini) started off in the world of Harry Potter acting
as Alfred Enoch’s (Dean Thomas) double/stand in. He was later cast as
Slytherin student Blaise Zabini, a close friend of Draco Malfoy and Pansy
Parkinson. He appeared as Blaise in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood
Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and was delighted to
find out he would have further involvement in Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows Part 2. He also voiced Blaise in the video game adaption of the
Deathly Hallows Part 2.
SPECIAL GUEST BIOGRAPHIES
8. Robbie Jarvis
Robbie Jarvis played young James Potter in the movie adaptation of
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. He has also appeared in
the Nickelodeon show Genie In The House and did vocal work for The
History Boys. He has also guest starred in episodes of Waking the Dead
for the BBC and ITV’s Trial & Retribution. This is his first LeakyCon!
William Melling
William Melling is known to fans as Nigel Wolpert, the movie’s pint-
sized addition to Dumbledore’s Army. He appeared in the last five Harry
Potter films. He made his television début as the child in Smack the
Pony and appeared on Vanity Fair as Young Rawdy Crawley. This is also
his first LeakyCon!
StarKid Productions
StarKid Productions is an ensemble of writers, actors, directors,
designers, producers, and other goof-offs. Blending live performance
with the accessibility of the Internet, StarKid has taken the long-revered
art of parody and fumblingly marched forward with it into the 21st
century. StarKid has its roots firmly embedded in the University of
Michigan’s School of Music, Theater, and Dance. In April of 2009, with
a budget of less than $150, an original script and score, and a cast and
creative team chock full of Michigan cohorts, A Very Potter Musical
premiered. Three months later, having filmed the live performances for
family and friends, writers Nick Lang, Matt Lang, and Brian Holden
posted the videos to YouTube, and within days the show had gone viral.
In just under two years, StarKid’s original works have garnered over
128 million views on YouTube, a devoted international fan-base of over
243,000 subscribers, and national attention from MTV, Entertainment
Weekly, blogger Perez Hilton, Access Hollywood, The Hollywood
Reporter, BillBoard.com, New York Magazine, The Detroit Free Press,
and National Public Radio, and more.
SPECIAL GUEST BIOGRAPHIES
9. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a YouTube vlog-style retelling of Pride and
Prejudice by Jane Austen featuring Ashley Clements (Lizzie Bennet),
Laura Spencer (Jane Bennet), Julia Cho (Charlotte Lu), and Mary Kate
Wiles (Lydia Bennet). Created by Bernie Su and Hank Green, the web
series takes viewers through the life of Lizzie and her family through
a modernized adaptation of the classic tale. Garnering over 77,000
subscribers and over 3.6 million views since their inception just a few short
months ago, the unique series has proven to be a fast fan favorite.
Potter Puppet Pals
Neil Cicierega and his team are behind a viral Harry Potter puppet
act that has garnered a staggering 172 million YouTube views to date.
Through comedy and puppetry Cicierega and his friends have created a
loyal fanbase as active and avid as that of the Harry Potter series itself.
The video “Mysterious Ticking Noise” is one of the most viewed YouTube
videos of all time, considered nearly required viewing for a Potter fan; it
was the winner of the best comedy video in the 2007 YouTube Awards and
has been mentioned by Daniel Radcliffe as something the Potter actors
joked they would like to recreate themselves. The Potter Puppet Pals will
appear at LeakyCon again this year with an hour-long special event, which
will offer fans the chance to see the world famous puppets live in action.
Dominic Barnes
Dominic Barnes has been gracing your living rooms for only a mere two
years but has loved every single second of it and is so honored that you (the
fans) have brought him to where he is today! He has been on such shows
as “Greek”, and had an extremely brief stint on ABC’s “Suburgatory”.
You probably know him best as that sassy dancin’ fool, Warbler Trent on
FOX’s hit TV show “Glee!” He is so grateful that LeakyCon has invited
him and his Warblin’ brothers to join you all this weekend, and he can’t
wait to meet all of you! Have a great time and don’t be afraid to come up
and say a quick “Hello!”
SPECIAL GUEST BIOGRAPHIES
10. Riker Lynch
Riker Lynch is a singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and dancer. He plays
bass and sings with the band R5 along with his brother Ross (from Disney
Channel’s Austin & Ally), his brother Rocky, sister Rydel, and best friend
Ellington Ratliff. The band recently signed a record deal with Hollywood
Records and are gearing up for some summer concerts around North
America. (see R5rocks.com). Riker and Rocky write all the songs for R5,
and are planning on releasing an album in early 2013. Riker is best known
for his role of Jeff, one of the Dalton Academy Warblers on Fox’s hit TV
show Glee.
Titus Makin Jr.
Titus Makin Jr. was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and found an interest in
gymnastics, dance, and acting from a young age. He attended The New
York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts (School of Film and Television) for
a two year professional training program. Titus is currently a reoccurring
character on Fox’s hit show “Glee” and co starring in the new ABC family
original movie, “A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song.”
Curt Mega
Curt Mega is an actor, singer and writer originally from Dallas, Texas.
He guest starred as “Nick” the Warbler on Fox’s “Glee” (Seasons 2 & 3)
and was the featured soloist on Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” in the episode
“The First Time” (“Glee”, Season 3). Stage work includes Damn Yankees
with Richard Kind and the Texas regional premiere of The Light in the
Piazza. He has been seen on national commercial campaigns for Subway
Restaurants, 7/11 and Hasbro. Last summer, he toured the U.S. and U.K.
as a cast member of the “Glee Live!” 2011 International Tour.
SPECIAL GUEST BIOGRAPHIES
11. MinaLima
MinaLima was founded in 2009 out of a coincidence of ideas between
Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima. Mira and Eduardo had the
extraordinary fortune to meet on the set of Harry and the Chamber of
Secrets, and immediately forged an alliance of creativity and humour,
connecting them in every design decision from then on.
Mira and Eduardo have led all elements of the graphic design for the
Harry Potter films. As creators of the Marauder’s Map, the Daily
Prophet and every other graphic prop in the film series, they have a
superb and passionate understanding of the Harry Potter films.
After ten years collaborating on the largest film franchise in history,
their Harry Potter graphic design expertise continues to be sought
after – from designing collectable merchandise to the hugely successful
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. They recently designed the ultimate
Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection DVD/Blu-ray box set for Warner
Home Video, which is to be released in September and is currently
available for preorder.
Melissa Anelli
Melissa Anelli has been active in the Harry Potter fandom for nearly 12
years. In addition to co-founding LeakyCon and Mischief Management,
she is the owner and operator of The Leaky Cauldron and the new site
LeakyNews.com. Melissa’s first book, the New York Times bestselling
Harry, A History, was published in 2008 with a foreword from
J.K. Rowling. Since 2009, Melissa has also served as senior creative
consultant on Pottermore. In her spare time, she indulges her other
obsessions: theater, television, and the sparklification of designer
shoes. A NYC native and dweller, Melissa is currently hard at work on
her second book.
SPECIAL GUEST BIOGRAPHIES
12. LEAKYCON LIT Biographies
Holly Black
Holly Black is a best-selling author of contemporary fantasy novels for kids,
teens, and adults. She is the author of the Modern Faerie Tale series (Tithe,
Valiant, and Ironside), The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi), and
The Good Neighbors graphic novels (with Ted Naifeh). She is also the co-editor
of three anthologies, Geektastic (with Cecil Castellucci), Zombies vs. Unicorns
(with Justine Larbalestier), and Welcome to Bordertown (with Ellen Kushner).
Her most recent works are The Poison Eaters and Other Stories, a collection
of short fiction, and The Curse Worker series (White Cat, Red Glove, and the
forthcoming Black Heart). She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo,
in a house with a secret library. You can find out more about Holly on her
website, blackholly.com
Daniel Ehrenhaft
Daniel Ehrenhaft is a bestselling author of books for teens, among them
The Wessex Papers (winner of the 2003 Edgar Award) and most recently
Americapedia, which the New York Times called “Jon Stewart’s America for the
YA set.” As an editor, he helped to create the Gossip Girl and Peaches series. He
is now Editorial Director of Soho Teen, whose first list launches in January 2013.
He is also a member of Tiger Beat, the world’s only all-YA-author band–and
perhaps the only semi-functioning band with no website or Facebook Page or
Twitter handle, because Tiger Beat is SOLELY DEVOTED TO ROCK. Plus,
they are lazy. Find out more about Daniel on his website, danielehrenhaft.com
John Green
John Green is the New York Times bestselling author of Looking for Alaska,
An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, and The Fault in our Stars. He is also
the co-author, with David Levithan, of Will Grayson, Will Grayson. His novels
have received much critical acclaim, including the Michael L. Printz Award and
the 2009 Edgar Award. No stranger to the internet, Mr. Green releases vlogs
along with his brother, Hank, on the popular YouTube channel, VlogBrothers,
which began in 2007. John Green lives in Indiana with his wife and young son,
Henry. More about John can be found on his website, johngreenbooks.com
Leakycon lit BIOGRAPHIES
13. Lev Grossman
Lev Grossman is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Magicians
and The Magician King. He is also the book critic at Time magazine.
He has written for Salon, The Village Voice, The Wall Street Journal, Wired,
Entertainment Weekly, The Believer, Lingua Franca, the New York Times,
and several other publications. You can find out more about Lev on his
website, levgrossman.com
Amanda Hocking
Amanda Hocking is an incredibly successful writer of young adult
paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels. Hocking, author of the
USA Today bestselling Trylle Trilogy and My Blood Approves series, gained
prominence shortly after she began self-publishing in 2010, selling her
novels as low priced (99 cents to $2.99) eBooks. Since then, she’s become the
exemplar of self-publishing success in the digital age, having sold over one
million copies of her novels. Before becoming a full-time writer, Amanda
worked in group homes for people with disabilities for five and a half years
writing in her spare time. That all changed in 2010, when sales of her books
began to take off, and she has been a full time writer ever since. St. Martin’s
Press will publish her new 4-book Watersong series beginning in August
2012. The first book in the series, WAKE, goes on-sale in August 2012. She
currently resides in Minnesota.
Leakycon lit BIOGRAPHIES
14. Maureen Johnson
Maureen Johnson is the bestselling author of such books as Suite Scarlett,
The Bermudez Triangle, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Let It Snow (with John
Green and Lauren Myracle), The Last Little Blue Envelope, The Name of the
Star and the upcoming The Madness Underneath. Before attending graduate
school in theatrical dramaturgy and writing at Columbia University, she
held a variety of unlikely jobs, many of which involved fire (usually not on
purpose). In addition to her novels, she was the scriptwriter for the “Harry
Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” handheld video games. She lives in New
York City, but travels to England on a regular basis. She has the dubious
distinction of being Mashable.com’s “Most Interesting Person to Follow
on Twitter” award winner for 2009. This is because she lives on her Twitter
account. You can also find her at maureenjohnsonbooks.com
Jennifer Laughran
Jennifer Laughran is a literary agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, based
in New York. She went from reading children’s books to selling them with her
first job in a bookstore at age 12, and has been up to her neck in kids and YA
books ever since. She represents many popular and award-winning children’s
authors, all of whom are adorable geniuses. You can find out more about Jenn
on twitter, @literaticat, and about the agency at andreabrownlit.com
Stephanie Perkins
Stephanie Perkins writes young adult novels with funny bits and kissing.
She is the author of Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door
and the much anticipated Isla and the Happily Ever After. Her husband is
wizard rocker Jarrod of Gred and Forge, and they live with two elderly pups
and a pesky cat named Mr. Tumnus. More information about Stephanie
Perkins can be found on her website, stephanieperkins.com
Leakycon lit BIOGRAPHIES
15. Rebecca Sherman
Rebecca Sherman is a literary agent for the publishing company Writers
House, based in New York City. With over eight years of experience in
the industry, Sherman has worked with such authors as Grace Lin, author/
illustrator of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon; Andrea Davis Pinkney
and Brian Pinkney, author and illustrator of Sit-In; and David Ezra Stein,
author/illustrator of Leaves. She also represents Melissa Anelli, author of
the New York Times best-selling Harry, A History. Further information
about Rebecca Sherman can be found on the Writers House website,
writershouse.com
Margaret Stohl
Margaret Stohl is the author of Icons, the first book in the Icons Series,
forthcoming from Little, Brown in Spring 2013 – as well as the New York
Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Los Angeles Times, Indie-Bound
and Internationally Bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures Novels
(with Kami Garcia.) You can find out more about Margaret on her website,
margaret-stohl.com
Laini Taylor
Laini Taylor is the author of the National Book Award Finalist Lips Touch:
Three Times, as well as the novels Blackbringer and Silksinger. Her
upcoming novel, Days of Blood and Starlight will be released in the fall of
2012 and is the sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke and Bone.
She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, illustrator Jim Di Bartolo,
and their daughter. You can visit her website to learn more about Laini
at lainitaylor.com
Leakycon lit BIOGRAPHIES
16. Kate Schafer Testerman
After nearly ten years with industry powerhouse agency Janklow & Nesbit
Associates, Kate Schafer Testerman formed kt literary in early 2008, where
she concentrates on middle grade and YA fiction. Her clients include
Maureen Johnson, Ellen Booraem, Stephanie Perkins, S. Terrell French,
Thomas E. Sniegoski, Josie Bloss and Matthew Cody, among others. Kate is
a graduate of the New York Renaissance Faire, and an avid collector of shoes.
Her interests cover a broad range including teen chick list, urban fantasy,
magical realism, adventure stories, and romantic comedies. She is an active
member of the SCBWI and AAR
Megan Whalen Turner
Megan Whalen Turner is the author of the Newbery Honor Book The
Thief and its sequels, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, and A
Conspiracy of Kings. A Conspiracy of Kings won the 2011 LA Times Book
Award for Young Adult Literature and the series of books was awarded
the 2011 Mythopoeic Award for Children’s Literature. She has been living
in Oslo, Norway for the past year where she worked on her next book
and learned a lot about trolls. There is more information about Megan at
meganwhalenturner.org.
Robin Wasserman
Robin Wasserman is the author of The Book of Blood and Shadow and several
other young adult books including Hacking Harvard, the Seven Deadly Sins
series, and the Cold Awakening trilogy. (Though you may know her from
all-time bestselling literary triumph, Scooby Doo: The Search for Scooby
Snacks.) She grew up in Philadelphia, went to Harvard, and, for her very first
task at her very first job out of college, was assigned to scour the city for a
miniature red carpet that could be rolled out for J. K. Rowling’s imminent
arrival. (She failed.) More information about Robin Wasserman can be
found on her website, robinwasserman.com
Leakycon lit BIOGRAPHIES
17. CHARITIES
LeakyCon is a charity supporting conference: We
regularly benefit The Harry Potter Alliance and Book Aid
International, two organizations close to our heart who
have done phenomenal work in literacy and community
action. We have also benefited This Star Won’t Go Out, an
organization that helps families of terminally ill children and
was inspired by Esther Earl, after whom our charity ball was
named.
LeakyCon has raised more than $120,000 for charitable
causes in its short history. We aim to continue to use our
conference to support these and more charities as our
commitment to good works grows and deepens.
The Harry Potter Alliance
CHARITIES
18. CHARITIES
The Harry Potter Alliance
The Harry Potter Alliance has worked for the past four years to motivate
and inspire youth around the world to get involved in various social issues
that face the world today. From the struggle for universal equal rights to
alerting the world to the dangers of global warming, poverty, and genocide,
the Harry Potter Alliance has been a champion of grassroots, community
activism in response to these vast issues. Their successes include raising
funds for the protection of thousands of women and children in Darfur
and Burma and collecting and donating thousands of books for a youth
village in Rwanda. In early 2010, efforts by the Harry Potter Alliance and a
network of related fandom communities raised more than $123,000 for the
Haitian people through Partners in Health. In July 2010, the HP Alliance
was awarded $250,000 through the Chase Community Giving Challenge on
Facebook. The HPA entered the four-week contest, which looked for the most
promising local charities from across the globe, and won the challenge with
38,000 votes. With the winnings, the HPA will be able to improve literacy,
LGBT rights, and build an online coalition of fandoms, YouTubes, and
organizations.
More about The Harry Potter Alliance can be found on their official website,
thehpalliance.org
CHARITIES
19. Book Aid International
Book Aid International increases access to books and supports literacy,
education and development in some of the poorest communities in the
World. Each year the charity provides more than 500,000 new, carefully-
chosen books to libraries in villages and cities, schools and universities, reading
rooms and refugee camps in sub-Saharan Africa. These books are read time
and time again by adults and children — for education, for vocation and for
pleasure. The charity also provides training to librarians and teachers as well
as small grants to enable libraries to purchase books in the local language and
refurbish reading rooms to make them more attractive and functional. In sub-
Saharan Africa today at least 153 million people cannot read or write and Book
Aid International is a long-standing global charity dedicated to helping change
lives through books. Leaky has supported many of the charity’s worthwhile
endeavors for several years, and we are proud to continue this tradition.
More information can be found on the Book Aid International website,
bookaid.org
Additional Charities This Star Won’t Go Out Foundation
Profits from LeakyCon will be donated to The purpose of This Star Won’t Go Out foundation is to financially assist
charity and while the money will primarily families struggling through the journey of a child living with cancer. Caring
go to The Harry Potter Alliance, Book Aid for a seriously ill child creates tremendous stress for the family system, and
International and the This Star Won’t Go Out having to worry about money is both burdensome and distracting. TSWGO’s
Foundation, we may make additional, smaller goal is to carry a bit of that burden for hurting families through financial gifts.
donations to other organizations.
TSWGO has a second goal, and it’s tied to why the foundation got started in
All donations will be listed on LeakyCon.com. the first place. TSWGO was established in memory of 16-year old Esther Earl,
an avid Nerdfighter and passionate Harry Potter fan. Her online friends and
causes met many of the social and emotional needs in her life, hampered as she
was by her progressing thyroid cancer. Yet Esther (Persian for “Star”) lived life
fully, getting involved in social justice issues, loving her friends, her family and
cats, and always remembering to be awesome. With the goal of never letting her
Star go out, TSWGO will also be funding occasional projects that fit Esther’s
quirky, compassionate life vision.
More information can be found on the This Star Won’t Go Out Foundation
website http://www.thisstarwontgoout.org/
CHARITIES
