Seattle Browncoats Charities is proud to present the 6th annual Can't Stop the Serenity

What's in store this year? Here's the plan... however, as any Browncoat knows, "what you plan and what takes place ain't ever exactly been similar."

4:30 p.m. - Doors open. Concessions, Browncoat swag, and musician CDs will be available for purchase.

We are delighted to welcome back local artist and dapper Browncoat, Cheyenne Wright (Arcane Times, Girl Genius), who will shepherd us through the evening as our grand MC. He will be joined by Daniel Wolf. You might have seen Daniel in local commercials or heard his voice on the radio. He is most comfortable in front of his TV, watching Firefly, dressed in his character's wardrobe from the short-lived Firefly-inspired Web series he was in!

5 p.m. - Serenity will begin (Blu-ray).

7 p.m. - Directly after the film, we will hold the main raffle drawing. You must be present to win!

7:30 p.m. - For those remaining for the full event, we'll head upstairs to mingle, share food and drink, and marvel at the splendor of costumed individuals.

8:30 p.m. - Back by popular demand! Live music by Vixy & Tony and Sunnie Larsen. Their Firefly-inspired and original tunes are always crowd pleasers!

9:30 p.m. - A special raffle drawing

10:00 p.m. - A fun-filled evening comes to a close, and your generosity has benefitted many fine charities.

This year CSTS Seattle proceeds will be distributed as follows: Equality Now (75%), Seattle Browncoats Charities (15%), Northwest Harvest (5% plus food donations), and MOHAI (5%).

You can see our official press release below:

  
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2011

Media Contact:
Errin Patton, PR Officer
360.213.4231
pr@sbcharities.org

Seattle Browncoats Charities presents the
2011 Seattle "Can't Stop the Serenity" Charity Event

Seattle, Wash. -- Seattle Browncoats Charities announces its 6th annual Can't Stop the Serenity (CSTS) event on Saturday, September 17, 2011, at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI). The evening begins at 5 pm with a screening of Joss Whedon's film Serenity (2005, PG-13), followed by raffle drawings for prizes, food and drink, and concludes with a concert featuring local filk musicians Vixy & Tony, Betsy Tinney, and Sunnie Larsen. Doors will open at 4:30 pm, and the movie will begin at 5 pm. This year CSTS Seattle proceeds will be distributed as follows: Equality Now (75%), Seattle Browncoats Charities (15%), Northwest Harvest (5% plus a collection of nonperishable food donations), and MOHAI (5%).

Tickets for the full evening are on-sale now for $30, and are available until midnight, September 1, 2011. The Event ticket includes admission to Serenity, light refreshments after the movie, and admission to the concert. Movie-only tickets will be available online through September 15 for $15 and at the door for $17. Commemorative T-shirts and tote bags will be available for pre-purchase online and at CSTS. All tickets and pre-purchased merchandise will be distributed at the theater on September 17. Movie concessions will be available for purchase.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.cstsseattle.org.

Seattle Browncoats Charities: SB Charities runs fundraisers for other worthy nonprofits that are too small to do it themselves. We focus on those that protect nature, promote equality, fight violence, and foster education and health in our communities. Seattle Browncoats Charities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, all-volunteer organization inspired by the works of Joss Whedon. The organization raises money and makes other appropriate donations to charities and nonprofits by promoting fan participation in social and other activities. Our focus on this mission includes the greater Puget Sound region.

The Movie: A passenger with a deadly secret. Six rebels on the run. An assassin in pursuit. When the renegade crew of Serenity agrees to hide a fugitive on their ship, they find themselves in an action-packed battle between the relentless military might of a totalitarian regime who will destroy anything--or anyone--to get the girl back, and the bloodthirsty creatures who roam the uncharted areas of space. But the greatest danger of all may be on their ship. From the mind of Joss Whedon (The Avengers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) comes the edge-of-your-seat adventure loaded with explosive battles, gripping special effects, and fantastic new worlds!

Can't Stop the Serenity Global: CSTS is a unique opportunity to indulge your geeky side while doing some good! Since 2006, fans have organized screenings of Joss Whedon's Serenity to raise funds and awareness to support Equality Now in their work for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women around the world.

Equality Now: Equality Now was founded in 1992 to work for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women around the world. Working with national human rights organizations and individual activists, Equality Now documents violence and discrimination against women and mobilizes international action to support their efforts to stop these human rights abuses.

The Concert & Musicians: Filk has been defined as what is sung or performed by the network of people who originally gathered to sing at science fiction/fantasy conventions. This definition might be summarized as, "I can't define it, but I can point at it."

Seattle filk duo Vixy & Tony each got into filk separately, he at California filk and sci-fi conventions, and she at house filks and conventions in Washington. If they'd both stayed home, they might never have met, but being wandering souls, they met in the middle at OryCon in Portland, Oregon. After a couple of successive OryCons spent listening to one another, they came together by chance in concert at one fateful BayCon in 2005 ("Wanna sing with me?" "Sure, why not?") and have been performing together ever since.

Betsy Tinney holds a B.A. in music from Wellesley College. After graduating, Betsy took a job as a technical writer in the burgeoning high-tech sector. This position was much more attractive and secure than playing in a pit orchestra (her current music job). Over the next 16 years, Betsy continued to work in the computer industry while also continuing to play with various amateur orchestras (often as principal cellist)--even while putting in 16-hour days at Microsoft. In 1997 Betsy began playing nonclassical cello with the rock band Gaia Consort and now plays with many indie bands. She is an active member of the New Directions Cello Association, a worldwide association dedicated to nonclassical forms of cello playing. Betsy and her husband, Dave, live just east of Seattle.

Life-long musician Sunnie Larsen studied Music Performance at the University of Utah. After relocating to Seattle, she became an active member of the music community. She has performed solo with community orchestras and choirs, performed studio work for various CD projects, composed and co-arranged instrumental parts, and performed with a number of highly talented musicians. She is a member of groups on both ends of the musical spectrum: the Medieval Women's Choir and local folk-rock band Bone Poets Orchestra.

Museum of History and Industry: MOHAI is dedicated to enriching lives by preserving, sharing, and teaching the diverse history of Seattle, the Puget Sound region, and the nation. MOHAI has grown to become the largest private heritage organization in the state of Washington, attracting more than 60,000 visitors annually from the Northwest and beyond, including thousands of schoolchildren. MOHAI collects, preserves, and presents the rich history of the Pacific Northwest. Its engaging exhibits and programs; its collection of nearly 4 million historic artifacts, archives, and photographs; and its award-winning educational programs have created an appreciation for the Northwest's diverse cultural, social, and economic history.