It has been a while since we've conducted a Sword and Staff charity auction, but there will be at least two auctions coming up soon.

The first auction will be posted up soon and will benefit Save the Children to benefit the victims of the tsunami that devasted parts of southeast Asia. I still have a large number of Xena-related items in my possession, and I will be photographing them and posting them up as soon as I can. All proceeds from the auction will go directly to Save the Children, and will be earmarked for relief of children and families in southeast Asia. I will post information on when the auction will take place this week, so please keep an eye out for that. Anyone who would like to donate merchandise for this auction (Xena or any other genre), please contact me at MistNY@aol.com  as soon as possible and let me know what you have to donate.

If you want to make a donation to Save the Children you can do so directly online at www.savethechildren.org   Or you can send a check or money order payable to SAVE THE CHILDREN to Sword and Staff, P.O. Box 224, Floral Park, NY 11002 and I will forward your donations as part of the Sword and Staff effort.

If you haven't made a donation yet, and if you prefer to donate to other organizations, there are any number of reputable groups that are in need of your financial help. Please visit the USA Freedom Corps website page that lists legitimate organizations who are working to help the people of southeast Asia at http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov/content/about_usafc/newsroom/announcements_dynamic.asp?ID=833

There is a second auction in the making. I had planned to do that one in January, but given the urgent need of the earthquake and tsunami victims, I'm going to put that off for about a month or so. That one was announced a while ago as "Color Me Caring." It's a really great collection of beanie toys that have been decorated by many cast and crew from Xena, Hercules, and Lord of the Rings. That auction will benefit both the Starship Foundation and The Kevin Smith Trust Fund.

As I said, it's been a while since we've done anything in terms of Sword and Staff auctions or donation drives, but I know that this fanbase is an awesome force when we put our minds to doing something.  I hope we can once again combine our efforts to make a difference in the world. Any questions, please let me know.

Best,

Debbie Cassetta
"Mist"
www.sword-and-staff.com

Please pass this along!