FanimeCon announces guest Fumio Iida and featured charities
San Jose, CA (May 16, 2011) - FanimeCon welcomes Fumio Iida to the 2011 convention at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center over Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-30. The animation director will interact with fans during Gainax's panels and autograph sessions.
In addition to being an animation director, Mr. Iida has experience as a character designer, illustrator, game creator, and manga artist. He draws manga under the name SUEZEN, and he has worked as an animator for companies like Tatsunoko Pro, Walt Disney Japan, 20th Century Fox, and now GAINAX.
More information about FanimeCon 2011, including the times and places for Mr. Iida's panels and autograph session, will be available at www.fanime.com. Visit the web site for the latest news about the convention as FanimeCon gears up for Memorial Day Weekend, 2011.
San Jose, CA (May 16, 2011) - FanimeCon has chosen three featured charities for 2011: Cancer Support Community, American Red Cross of Silicon Valley, and APA of San Francisco. Fund-raising efforts will continue throughout the Memorial Day Weekend and culminate in a live Charity Auction event Sunday, May 29, at 3 p.m. in the San Jose Convention Center.
FanimeCon's Charity Auction receives donated goods and services from a variety of sources including dealers, sponsors, guests, industry, staff, and fans. Members bid on the goods in both silent and live auctions. FanimeCon's parent organization, the Anime Resource Group, will match the entire dollar amount raised by the 2011 Charity Auction, and all of the proceeds will be divided evenly among the three chosen charities. Memorable donations from past years included unique artwork created by FanimeCon's celebrity guests, autographed commemorative items, and a Nintendo Wii signed by many FanimeCon Guests of Honor across multiple years.
Along with the auctions listed above, FanimeCon 2011 will also hold a special event to help support Japan after the devastating disaster struck in March. For a US$1 minimum donation, members will receive a sheet of origami paper to fold into a crane. In Japanese legend, cranes are said to live for a thousand years, and origami cranes symbolize world peace and wishes for recovery. All proceeds from the crane-folding event will go to the Japanese Red Cross Society.
About FanimeCon - FanimeCon is Northern California's largest anime convention. Packed with videos, costumes, music, games, parties, tournaments, panels, and guests from around the world, this annual celebration of Japanese art and popular culture entertains a colorful spectrum of fans and friends. FanimeCon is "By Fans, For Fans", and over 16,000 enthusiasts joined FanimeCon 2010. FanimeCon will return to the San Jose McEnery Convention Center during Memorial Day weekend, May 27-30, 2011. For more information, please contact FanimeCon Marketing at [email protected] or visit www.fanime.com.
About Cancer Support Community - Cancer Support Community provides support services and education programs for people with cancer and their families. They enable cancer patients to manage their treatment and recovery as effectively as possible, increase their chances for survival, reduce their chances of recurrence, and provide for a higher quality of life. All services are provided free of charge. Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area now serves over 2,000 people affected by cancer each year. Funds raised at FanimeCon will underwrite services and support for cancer patients and their families at Cancer Support Community Silicon Valley. For more information about Cancer Support Community, please call 650.968.5000 or visit www.cancersupportcommunity.net.
About The American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter - The American Red Cross Silicon Valley Chapter is a non-profit, humanitarian organization that depends on the generous contributions of time and money from Santa Clara County residents and companies to provide services and programs that help their community prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies in their community, across the country and world. For more information on disaster preparedness tips and presentations, health and safety classes, volunteer opportunities, and financial contributions, visit their website at siliconvalley-redcross.org
About APA Family Support Services - APA Family Support Services is a hospital-based agency offering in-home family support services. APA prevents child abuse and domestic violence by helping at-risk families cope with the challenges of raising babies and young children. They work with San Francisco General Hospital and other sites in the city to provide weekly parent support groups for new mothers with infants. APA also provides bilingual and bicultural home visits to help new parents understand child development, healthy nutrition, and safety. For more information on their mission to promote healthy Asian/Pacific Islander children and family, visit their website at apasfgh.org