FanimeCon charity auction announces matching program
San Jose, CA (May 12, 2008) – FanimeCon, Northerrn California's largest anime convention, today announced two recipients for its annual Charity Auction: Asian Perinatal Advocates in San Francisco and The Springstone School in Lafayette. This break with tradition is made possible by a commitment from the convention itself to match (dollar-for-dollar) the money raised by the Charity Auction.
"It's great that we're able to offer a match this year, and we're excited to support both the APA and the Springstone School," said Tomoko Shintani, President of ARG (FanimeCon's parent company). "We've received some great items for the auction, so with a little help from our fans, we hope to break our previous record this year!"
Asian Perinatal Advocates (APA) is a non-profit agency dedicated to promoting healthy families in the Asian community by providing family support services. Reaching out to Asian families within the Bay Area, APA's mission is to prevent child abuse and domestic violence. Some of the services provided by APA include: bilingual counseling, in-home visits, parenting education classes, support groups, and leadership development opportunities. Further information about Asian Perinatal Advocates can be found at their official website (http://www.apasfgh.org).
The Springstone School is an independent middle school that serves students with Asperger's Syndrome (AS), Non-verbal Learning Disability (NLD), and other neurocognitive challenges. Using small structured classes and an integrated teaching approach, Springstone is the first school in the nation with a curriculum specifically designed to serve students with these challenges. The instruction integrates pragmatic language, occupational therapy, organizational skills, and life skills to foster independence, self-worth, and a sense of community in its students. This is the second year FanimeCon is working with The Springstone School. Both this year and last, FanimeCon donated four single-day convention passes for Springstone's Annual Silent Auction. More information about The Springstone School can be found at their official website (http://thespringstoneschool.org).
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About FanimeCon – FanimeCon is Northern California's largest matsuri ("celebration") of anime, manga, and related arts and cultures. Held annually over Memorial Day Weekend in Downtown San Jose, over 10,000 people joined the fun in 2007. FanimeCon is "by fans, for fans" and is run entirely by volunteers who love putting together a weekend full of activities and events that feature anime, manga, cosplay, music, video/tabletop gaming, guests from around the world and much, much more! FanimeCon 2008 will be held from May 23rd – 26th in Downttown San Jose. To find out what's in store and learn more about FanimeCon, please visit: http://www.fanime.com (official website)