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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


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