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Update #6: Special Thanks In The Hawaiian Sand!
If you donated $100 or more during our Kickstarter fundraiser, I promised I would write your name in the sand in Hawaii. And...I did! Check out a video of the sand-writing and a photo slideshow on the Story Tour blog. I'll be emailing each of you separately with photos for you to save. Thanks again to all you $100+ supporters! We're still editing and posting stories we collected on the Tour; we filmed nearly 170 of them, wow!
The Tour wouldn't have been possible without your support, whether it was $5 or $1000 so thanks to each and every one of you.
xo,
Nathan, Marquise and Nick
Update #5: The Official Story Tour Blog
I'm constantly reminded that, whoa, this Story Tour is actually happening! This is one of those times. We just recently launched the I'm From Driftwood 50-state Story Tour blog and the Launch Event is right around the corner--Thursday, September 2, in Driftwood, Texas!
Check out the blog: www.50StateStoryTour.com
In addition to following us on our adventure, there are a lot of ways you can actually be a part of the Tour. Here's just some of what you can do on the site:
- Tell us where to go. Yep, we know we're going to all 50 states, but YOU get to choose exactly where. Tell us why we should visit your town, whether it's because there's good food, a great community, a homophobic community, nice weather, horrible weather...make it interesting and adventuresome. We're also looking to stay with as many folks as we can, so let us know if you've got an extra room, couch or floorspace! http://www.imfromdriftwood.com/storytour/route/
- Join the IFD Team. We're looking for two video editing assistants so if you know how to tell a story visually, have some experience and are in school looking for an internship, let us know ASAP! http://www.imfromdriftwood.com/storytour/join-the-ifd-team/
- Help us out. The funds raised through KickStarter sure helped out a lot but it was just the tip of the iceberg of things we need. We're looking for in-kind donations, like camera equipment, a van, a gas card and more. Check out our Wish List: http://www.imfromdriftwood.com/storytour/ifd-wish-list/
- Throw more cash our way. Just because KickStarter ended doesn't mean our fundraising did! We're planning on having fundraisers while we're out on the open road and we're also still hoping for donations through the blog. You can donate easily here: http://www.imfromdriftwood.com/storytour/support/
- Get to know us. You'll be seeing a lot of Marquise (director/editor), Nick (driver) and me (Nathan, creator of IFD) so here's a quick intro so you'll know who's who: http://www.imfromdriftwood.com/storytour/the-ifd-50-state-story-tour/
And...if you're in Texas, you won't wanna miss the Launch Event on Thursday, September 2. It's at the Salt Lick BBQ from 7 - 11pm. It will be hosted by Austin fave Miss Rebecca Havemeyer and will have live music by the lovely Amy Cook. Check out the Facebook invite: http://www.facebook.com/...
Thanks again for all your kicking and starting. See you on the road!
Nathan, Marquise and Nick
Update #3: An email to I'm From Driftwood
Today begins the last week of fundraising for the IFD 50-State Story Tour. Over the weekend I received an email from a teenager via the IFD YouTube channel which reminded me more than ever why this Tour is so important. S/He's not out yet, so I'm keeping it anonymous and am using it with his/her permission:
Nathan
First I would like to thank you so much. I am a gay teen still in the closet. I have only recently come to terms and accepted me being gay. I went through an extremely rough and depressed time when I first came to the conclusion that I was gay. I felt like I was destroyed. I then turned to the internet; that was my only way to be remotely connected to the LGBT community. I felt so alone. The internet helped me so much in accepeting myself. I learned there is nothing at all wrong with me. I watched pretty much all of your videos in one night, I was amazed. I felt like a new person. After all of the internet stuff and much thought I am now totally okay with me being gay and a huge part of that is thanks to your videos, I cannot thank you enough! You saved my life, literally!
Now, to the Kickstarter. I really REALLY want to donate to your fundraiser. But, me being a teen in the closet, I don't really have a way to do that. I don't have a credit card, and I cannot use my parents because, well that might give me a little "push" out of the closet if you know what I mean. Thanks so much for everything.
Since this teen can't donate, I'm asking you all to find one person who can donate for her/him, even if it's just $10. Post it on your Facebook walls. Share it on Twitter. Email it to 10 people.
We're almost there!
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Daniel Seda on July 19, 2010
you are beautiful, my darling! we are all behind you. you are loved! i have donated on your behalf. :)
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Seth Klonsky on July 20, 2010
My pledge is now $10 larger because of you, kiddo. You're an amazing and strong person, writing the e-mail that you did. I know that this time in your life is stressful and hard, but I promise you that you've completed the hardest and biggest step of them all: you've come to love yourself for who you are.
Wherever you are, you're in my thoughts. Be well. Thanks for your story.
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Update #2: We're over 50% there!
Woohoo! 50% and beyond! Many thanks to everyone who's donated so far. Before you continue reading, watch the video at the bottom of the post, then jump back up here and you'll know what this form letter is all about.
Done watching the video? Great! Here's a form letter to send to your friends or family. Just copy and paste this sucker, and fill in the [information in brackets] to personalize it:
Hey there,
My [friend, son, brother, nephew, idol, etc] Nathan Manske is going on a 4-month, 50-state Story Tour for his website, www.ImFromDriftwood.com. It collects and shares true lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender stories to help LGBT youth feel not so alone. LGBT youth still to this day attempt suicide 4 times more than straight kids--not cool! On his Story Tour, he's going to collect and share even more stories from the smallest towns and biggest cities across America to help communities throughout this great land realize they're not the only ones out there. Awesome. Ambitious. Important!
I donated [a zillion dollars] to his Kickstarter page to help make the Tour happen. He asked me to find someone to match my donation and I would be forever grateful if you could do just that. It's really easy and takes less than 5 minutes. Go to www.ImFromDriftwood.com/kickstarter and click "BACK THIS PROJECT" and donate at least as much as I did.
I appreciate it and I know Nathan will, too!
[Your name]
265
Backers
$16,786
pledged of $15,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on July 26, 2010.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
Your name will be on the Road Trip blog's "Special Thanks" page.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
The "Special Thanks" page shout-out + you choose a "Would You Rather..." (classic road trip game) question to be posted and answered on the IFD Facebook page.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
All the above + we'll send you a postcard from one of 50 states--you can send a preference!
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
All the above + we'll write your name in the sand on a beach in Hawaii and post the pic on the Road Trip blog--and email it to you!
Pledge $250 or more Pledge $250 or more
All the above + you'll get a "Special Thanks" credit on a Video Story. You'll be the only one for that Video Story and it will be there forever!
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
Ever wanted to see an Alaskan sunset, the Grand Canyon or any other location in the U.S. but haven't been able to? For 500 bucks you'll get all the above + we'll do a live webcam of any one location we visit so you can see it real time.
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
Better tidy up because you've got company--we're coming to you! We'll make a stop in your town and film your video story or audio story. If you're too shy and don't want us to, you can choose one destination along the way.
Project By
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Nathan Manske is the creator and editor of the LGBT, true-stories blog "I’m From Driftwood" and a freelance copywriter. He is indeed from Driftwood, Texas, but has lived in Brooklyn, New York since 2003. For creating IFD, Manske was selected as one of The Advocate's "Forty Under 40" (http://www.advocate.com/printArticle.aspx…). His inclusion, along with the others on the list of "young activists, artists, and other standouts" was described by the publication as “proof the qualities that make a leader are often innate—and that the gay movement is still in good hands.” IFD also gained notable recognition from other on- and offline media outlets including The Austin Chronicle's "Best of 2009", Instinct Magazine (http://instinctmagazine.com/features/i%E2%80%99m-from-driftwood-s-nathan-manske), NPR, AfterElton (http://www.afterelton.com/people/2009/11/nathan-manske), Andrew Sullivan, Towleroad (http://www.towleroad.com/2009/03/im-from-river-forest-illinois.html), Queerty, Houston Press, and The Austin American-Statesman (http://shopping.statesman.com/SS/Page.aspx…;).
Before creating I’m From Driftwood, he spent 4 years as a full-time copywriter, working first at Hanft Raboy & Partners, then Berlin Cameron & Partners, and has fortunately been able to combine his personal passions with his profession. His Chemistry.com television commercials raised awareness as well as eyebrows by taking on eHarmony’s discriminatory policies towards gays and lesbians. eHarmony has since changed their policies. He also found a way to actually get paid for being a geek by writing the third X-Men film’s interactive website for 20th Century Fox. Other work has included Match.com, in the U.S. and the UK, Lincoln, VitaminWater, Sony, Comcast, Howard Johnson’s, Diet Pepsi, Hertz, and Showtime. Nathan received an Advertising degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
