Star Trek Movie Fundraiser

Who bought Star Trek tickets already? What shows and where? Who’s going? Tell us about it!

Me? Two shows: 7 May, two tickets, 7 pm, with my wife. The other is the next day in IMAX at 7:10 with 5 of my buddies.

Really excited!

Star Trek tickets went on sale today at sites like Fandango and MovieTickets.com. Keep in mind that Paramount has taken the unusual step of premiering the movie on Thursday, May 7th at 7 pm, instead of the typical midnight showings.

Make being a fan mean something. Do some good while watching this movie. Donate to Doctors Without Borders and help people around the planet.

Contribute Now!

There still remain diseases, deadly ones, that are mostly forgetton or neglected by people living in even moderately industrialized parts of the world. Kala Azar is one that first came to people’s attention as way back as 1824 and yet still kills thousands of the “poorest of the poor” annually. Affecting mostly impovrished areas of Africa and the Indian sub-continent, Kala Azar (Black Fever in Hindi) is barely known in even moderately industrialized parts of the world. According to Wikipedia, disease clusters often form around drought- and famine-ravage areas, and where wars and resource-strife have caused increased population density and reduced quality of life.

Doctors Without Borders gives these people healthcare where no one else can provide it. Following is short clip from Doctors Without Borders explaining the issue.

Every year, kala azar kills more than 50,000 thousand people worldwide. A neglected disease, the treatment for it was developed in the 1930s and requires a long, painful course of intra-muscular injections. The treatment is also prohibitively expensive for many of those who have the disease. In Kacheliba, West Pokot District, Kenya, MSF provides free treatment for kala azar.

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Can Star Trek fans, energized by the new movie premiering in just a month, combine their enthusiasm to benefit a cause? Consider this: the Star Trek movie will sell over a million seats opening weekend. If every one of those fans donates just $1, think of the goodwill that can be generated. But ask a fan to make a contribution in honor of Star Trek, ask them to consider what Star Trek means to them when they donate, and it becomes possible to revolutionize the way fans express their passion and make a difference that changes the lives of people around the planet. Star Trek fans are just the sort of fan-base to change everything.

The Star Trek Movie Fundraiser site was setup with just such intent in mind. It is a fan-based initiative hoping to channel the frenzy around the movie to benefit Doctors Without Borders. Every year Doctors Without Borders sends thousands of medical works to famine-, epidemic, and war-stricken parts of the world without consideration for ethnicity or nationality, spreading a message that resonates with the ideologies that so many Star Trek fans hold dear.

Turn your passion for Star Trek into a force that changes the planet. Contribute to Doctors Without Borders in the name of Star Trek and your love for films and sci-fi. Think of all that we can accomplish!

Contribute Now!

There are too many barriers to progress. There are so many interconnections but we do not effectively acknowledge or use them. Emotion is a medium that few consider real. We think it personal and private even though marketing is based solely on people’s feelings. In fact, the buzz generated by the new Star Trek movie is creating emotion. Legions of energized fans will watch the latest trailer as soon as it comes out and find a way to obtain tickets for opening weekend. There will be much chatter on the webs and time spent reinforcing one’s commitment to the franchise. Why then is this energy rarely used to change lives?

Star Trek fans especially are the type of group that can change a planet, a culture. They are forward thinkers who favor the idealized society of the Star Trek universe. Why then has a movie studio never been creative enough with its associated opening-night movie fund raising to make full use of fan enthusiasm. They are awful clever with generating buzz for the movie but do very little to rechannel that energy for goodwill.

Doctors Without Borders is a good charity to align with Star Trek. Sending doctors to all the neediest parts of the world seems very Star Trek-like. But there are countless others like CARE, the Red Cross, and Oxfam.

I woke up today realizing I that not only does this need to happen but that I have it in me to make it happen. It’s all about connections and getting past real and imaginary borders and just pushing through. I can’t imagine Star Trek fans not being enthusiastic about donating the equivalent of what Star Trek means to them. I think it’s time to show the Star Trek fan’s mettle.

(-entry reproduced from private blog)