<center><div style="text-align: left;">Greeting - below is a letter from Poets' Asylum slammaster Bill MacMillan. It was originally posted in his <a href="http://javabill.livejournal.com/293747.html">LiveJournal</a>.<br>
<br></div><hr width="75%"></center><br>Like in past years, the Worcester Poetry Slam needs money to get the
team to the Nationals. Unlike in past years, we can’t just put the cost
on someone’s credit card & hope we raise the funds later.
Registration costs have gone up, hotel rooms are bundled with
registration (a cost-savings for us, but money needed earlier) &
donations are down. We need to know that we’ll be able to cover our
costs before we send a team. To do that, we need your help.<br><br>In
the long-term (between now & the end of July) we need to raise
around $2,500 to cover flights, hotel & transportation. In the
short term (between now & April 26th) we need to raise the first
$1,000 of that to cover registration, memberships & deposits. <br><br>This
is the part of the fund raising spiel where I should use flowery,
uplifting language to inspire you to donate. But I’m going to be blunt…<br><br><b>If we don’t raise $1,000 by April 26th we will not send a team.</b><br><br>I
know that this is not the feel-good beg-a-thon message you were
expecting, but times are tough all around & we can’t afford to
carry debt past the event this year. We need the Poets’ Asylum family
to step up & help us raise the money needed.<br><br>If 20 people
each raise $50 we can make our target amount & move forward with
secure financial standing. Or if 40 people each raise $25, or if 2
people each raise $500. (you get the idea)<br><br>We will kick-off our
fundraiser this Sunday (April 5th) with a “Blue Collar Slam”. We will
have pledge sheets, donation information & will be passing the hat
all month.<br><br>April is National Poetry Month. Help make it a good
one for the Worcester Slam by donating whatever you can. (&
whatever you can beg from your friends, family & co-workers)<br><br>Please, I hate begging for cash.<br>Just donate so I can stop this groveling.<br><br>-Bill MacMillan<br>SlamMaster – Poets’ Asylum<br><br>
<center><hr width="75%"></center>
<p align="justify"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Poets' Asylum is in its eighteenth year of bringing the
best in Performance and Slam Poetry to Central Massachusetts and beyond.</font></p>
<p align="justify"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Find us online at <a href="http://poetsasylum.org/" target="_blank">http://poetsasylum.org/</a>.</font></p>
<p align="justify"><font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This message was sent to you from the pa-info
mailing list of the Poets' Asylum (<a href="http://poetsasylum.org/" target="_blank">poetsasylum.org</a>). If you would like to no longer receive
updates please <a href="http://poetsasylum.org/mailman/options/pa-info_poetsasylum.org" target="_blank">click here</a> to unsubscribe. If all else fails please send
an e-mail to <a href="mailto:webmaster@poetsasylum.org">
webmaster@poetsasylum.org</a> and we'll do our best to remove your e-mail
address from the list.</font></p><br>