June 15, 2010
I'm pleased to tell you all that the current tally from the Change for the Gulf campaign is $1,778. I'd like to thank the following confirmed donors who have donated money to the Gulf Restoration Network using the "AVforGulf" code:

Projector Lamp Services LLC
Coleen Sterns Leith of Marketing Matters PR
David Bonner of Bontronics
Betsey Banker of Omnimount
Kimberly Fabiano of Social4Media
Gary Hall - $250 matching funds
Rich & Linda Frembes - $250 matching funds
Rational Acoustics - $250 matching funds

And a huge thank you to everyone who dropped their coins and bills into a Change for the Gulf collection bucket at InfoComm 2010. We raised $350 just from donations to the buckets on the show floor.

The Change for the Gulf campaign still lives online. You can donate to the Gulf Restoration Network at any time using the donation link on their web site.

Thank you all for the support we experienced during this campaign.

June 8, 2010
Here's the latest list of booths who are hosting collection jars:
Middle Atlantic Products (booth C6002
Fulcrum Acoustic/Rational Acoustics (booth C7922)
AVI-SPL(booth N2731)
Projector Lamp Services (booth C4849)
Digital Projection International (booth N939)
Omnimount Systems (booth C5028)
AVAD (booth C5686)
Draper, Inc. (booth C5649)

A couple of clarifications: The Gulf Restoration Network is an organization exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 501(3) (c) of the Internal Revenue Code. Any individual who is working on the Change for the Gulf campaign does so on a volunteer basis. Every penny collected goes to the Gulf Restoration Network. We are not reimbursed for out of pocket expenses or compensated for our time. Please give what you can to help our campaign.


June 7, 2010
We're in Vegas and on the hunt for fish bowls as collection jars has begun. Thanks to Gary Hall and his wife Laura, we have a new PDF flier and a new logo (seen at the top of the page.) Laura also designed the graphic for the collection jars. And it all looks fabulous!

We're still looking for AV exhibitors who are willing to host a collection jar in their booth. Rich and I will do all the work - signage, fliers, and picking up the collected change. Contact me if you would like to host a jar!

-Linda


June 5, 2010
Hello, everyone. The support we have received over the past day and a half is staggering. Thank you so much to early donors like Marketing Matters and Projector Lamp Services. Also thanks to Gary Hall for his blog post about our efforts.

Rich and I are so pleased with the responses we've gotten so far and can't wait to meet many of you next week at the show. "Change for the Gulf" activities are keeping our heads spinning, in addition to preparing for InfoComm. We've decided to use fish bowls for collection jars so keep your eyes peeled for them at the show. We're working on signage but please forgive us since neither Rich nor I are graphic designers.

See you all very soon!
-Linda


June 4, 2010

Dear friends and colleagues in the AV industry:

I'd like to share with you an idea that I hope will take hold like wildfire. As we all know, the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is just that - a disaster. If you are like me, you probably look at the oil spill footage and wonder what you can do. My husband Rich and I were looking at this photo gallery last night and wondering the same thing.

Here is our idea: We want your change. Yes, the loose change you have in your pocket and in the bottom of your purse. We want it.

Next week at InfoComm, we hope to launch a campaign to collect everyone's pocket change. I'm calling it "Change for the Gulf" and it will benefit the Gulf Restoration Network. They've been around since 1995 and have spearheaded efforts to protect the Gulf for the past 15 years. The BP oil spill has only made their job infinitely more difficult.

To show our commitment, Rich and I are putting up $250 of our own money as a dollar-for-dollar match. This is not a plea from a corporation. We're putting up our personal funds because we see an opportunity and we know the big, caring heart that beats within the AV community. (Update: Gary Hall of the New Green Economy is also offering $250 of his own money as matching funds! Rational Acoustics is also putting up $250 in matching funds. Total so far is $750 in matching funds as of 4:00 pm EST on June 4.)

If you wish to join in this effort, here's what we're asking you to do:

InfoComm Exhibitors: We'd like to put a small sign and a collection jar/receptacle in your booth. That's all we're asking. We'll come collect the change; we're just asking for a small space. If you would like to do more, the door is open. ( Update: Middle Atlantic Products (booth C6002), Fulcrum Acoustic/Rational Acoustics (booth C7922), AVI-SPL(booth N2731), and Projector Lamp Services (booth C4849) are hosting collection jars!)


InfoComm attendees: If you see a collection jar or if you see me or Rich, please drop in your change. We want the $0.06 in your pocket from the $9.94 you just paid for your convention center burger.


Non-attendees/direct donations: You can donate directly to the Gulf Restoration Network via their payment site, but please use the code "AVforGulf" in the Designation Code field. You must use this code if you want your donation to count towards matching funds!

The New Green Economy is also acting as a payment portal for donations. Please note: The New Green Economy is not making a profit from helping to collect online donations, they just have better IT capabilities than I do as a freelancer.


If you'd like to get in touch with me to see how else we can help raise funds, email me at Linda at Frembes dot com or contact me on Twitter at @AVwriter.

If you're on Twitter and want to spread the word, please send this page URL (http://www.frembes.com/ChangefortheGulf.html) along with the hashtag #AVforGulf.

Please help if you can. Because even if the several thousands of us who are attending InfoComm next week can give just a few cents, it makes a big impact on the lives of many.


Many thanks,
Rich & Linda Frembes