MiNoFF
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE FAN FUND
2004 MiNoFF AWARD WINNER: TERRY HICKMAN
The MiNoFF, Middle of Nowhere Fan Fund, has been created to provide financial assistance to fans who live in the “middle of nowhere” in the US or Canada to travel to a North American science fiction convention. The first winner is Terry Hickman of Nebraska. Terry will travel to Baycon '04 and receive $250 cash and hotel accommodations. The prize is given to people who do not live near any large conventions and the convention to which they travel is selected by the winner.
ABOUT THE MINOFF:
Lori Ann White and Frank Wu established the MiNoFF - The Middle of Nowhere Fan Fund. This is akin
to the DUFF and TAFF and other fan funds, which raise money to be given to fans
so they can travel to cons far away.
The MiNoFF is intended for fans in America to go to a con in America of their
choice. Recipients should send me - at
qarlo999@hotmail.com - their tale of woe, with where they live (which I will
check on the map to see if it really is in the middle of nowhere - not near any
cities where cons take place). Also, if you're interested in being a recipient
of this award, (1) send me a full account of all the cons you've been to in the
last two calendar years (2002 and 2003) (I'll be verifying against membership
records of cons closest to where you live) and (2) tell me what you do for a
living (convince me you need the money) and (3) write something that convinces
me you really are a sci-fi/fantasy fan - a list of your favorite books, authors
and movies will suffice; (4) tell me your age (while this is not yet a hard and
fast rule, I think for the first year at least I will be hard pressed to award
this to anyone under 21); and, optionally (5) tell me a con you'd really really
like to go to and why. I will also, of course, need full contact info -
name, address, email address, etc.
The point is to for fans to chip in
to send other fans to cons - fans that have difficulty getting to cons - i.e.,
people who really really want to go to a con but can't because they don't have
any money and, well, live in the middle of nowhere. What I'm basically saying is
that a computer programmer in Chicago (locale of Windycon, f'rinstance) doesn't
really have much of a chance at the MiNoFF prize, but someone making minimum
wage in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Moose Antler Wyoming who really wants
to go to Mile High Con has a better shot.
If you are interested in contributing to this fund, you can send me donations
via paypal at qarlo999@hotmail.com. I will also be accepting donations and at
some point in the next few months, at some con or other, I will be holding an
auction to auction off any books or other things that people give me/send me to
raise money for this. I'm hoping to raise enough to give $500 to the first
recipient and to award this by Feb. 1, 2004, at the beginning of next year's con
season.
Applicants for the MiNoFF should also tell me their age. If you're seriously in the running for this and I don't personally know you, I will be also be asking for more personal info (address, phone no., references) to stop any attempts to take advantage of the fund.
Also, any emails sent to me related to the MiNoFF should have the word "MiNoFF" in the title so they aren't accidentally deleted as spam.
Thanks.
Frank Wu