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Hi chaps Last year (yeah, it's a new year now) a charity raffle was organised in aid of The Children's Trust, a wonderful organisation that works with children who have brain injuries and other complex disabilities. The generous people of this forum donated £900, won a bunch of very decent prizes and hopefully all had a good time whilst doing so. The donation page will stay open for a couple of more days, so anyone who wants to can still donate some money: https://www.justgiving.com/zoolophage/ Anyway, it was so fun that our thoughts have turned to what we can do next... There is already the excellent and well established 'donate your unwanted stuff - charity thread' which has been going for many years and goes from strength to strength. We don't want to to deflect attention from that as it works well and benefits EGers and charity alike. We'd like to do something that can sit alongside that thread and not steal its thunder. So, there is: THE EG MONTHLY GEEK BOX CHARITY RAFFLE I'm proposing a monthly 'geek box' raffle where each month you stand a chance of winning a box of gaming/comic/superhero/sci-fi/retro/dinosaur/ufo/lego/gadget/fun themed stuff. Actually, the box doesn't have to be geeky, it just needs to be something with a cohesive theme. You get the idea. The geek box doesn't have to be high value at all, but it should be fun and thought should be put into it theme wise. You can make/build/write/draw/or otherwise create stuff, get your kids to make stuff, you can buy stuff, you can include excellent condition stuff that you already own that fits your theme, you can scour ebay for rare and collectable stuff. Think big, prizes definitely don't have to be bought from a shop. The only thing that you must do is put a fair bit of thought and effort in so that whomever wins your geek box thinks it's amazingly cool and wants to post pics of how awesome it is. It is NOT about spending a lot of money (although you can splash the cash if you feel so inclined). HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED I need volunteers who're willing to donate a geek box - one for each month of the year. You get to decide what to put in it and how much you spend. Cool themed stuff > spending a lot of money. I will start the raffle by offering up the first geek box for January 2015. Lots can be drawn for the other months, which will give donors plenty of time to think of/find/make/create/buy cool stuff for their box. I figure giving people a couple of months notice that it's their turn would be fine. PRIZE INFO & RAFFLE TICKETS Every month 1 person (or more?) will win a geek box. I suggest that the price of a raffle ticket be low, perhaps £1 - 2, to allow more people to enter. We can discuss which charity/s should benefit. I'd suggest a multiple sclerosis charity, given this fantastic article that I read a while ago. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-11-26-catastrophe-games-how-spelunky-and-xcom-prepared-me-for-an-incurable-illness I also contacted Oli from EG a few weeks ago about raising money for an MS charity, given the article's context and he said that EG could have a look around their office for prizes. Anyone up for it? Edited by zoolophage at 13:11:40 02-01-2015 |
The EG Monthly 'Geek Box' Charity Raffle - win cool stuff and help good causes
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Rivuzu 18,424 posts
Seen 6 hours ago
Registered 15 years agoI'm actually pretty boring and unimaginative when it comes to buying geeky stuff, so I don't think I can contribute in that sense (Unless you wanted loose Sanwa buttons or vaping gear!) but I'll definitely be entering this. An MS charity would be great too, good cause. -
CharlieStCloud 5,812 posts
Seen 7 years ago
Registered 11 years agoI don't mind being a volunteer - as well as a donator - to what is a great choice of charity.
The only negative about me being the volunteer is that I do not buy comics or any of the 'geeky' stuff Mr. Zoo mentioned, other than the occasional LEGO so, I might be a poor volunteer of choosing the gift(s).
I think £2 every month (therefore being £24 or £26 a year, depending on if you count in four weeks or a singular month) is perfectly fine and allows us to be a bit more generous to both the charity and the little prizes on offer.
I guess what I am trying to say is that 'I am taking part' if there are others who is willing to volunteer and contribute too! -
@CharlieStCloud
Doesn't have necessarily have to be a 'geeky' box. The thing I'm thinking of for my box isn't very geeky, actually, but it is thematic and interesting.
It can be anything with an interesting theme...
e.g.
a box with an 'international' theme could have sweets from different countries, little badges with different flags, you could make a mini book that tells about different customs, you could include postcards of interesting historical landmarks, maybe something from the town or place you live in.
Edited by zoolophage at 10:24:55 02-01-2015 -
CharlieStCloud 5,812 posts
Seen 7 years ago
Registered 11 years agozoolophage wrote:
Now that is something I can do, given where I live - in Suffolk - is a haven for those interesting localised bits and bobs, both cultural and historical wise.
e.g. A box with an 'international' theme could have sweets from different countries, little badges with different flags, you could make a mini book that tells about different customs, you could include postcards of interesting historical landmarks, maybe something from the town or place you live in.
So, Mr. Zoo, you are in charge of the first box (this month) and from each month onwards, it is a collective effort, am I right?
I like this already! -
@CharlieStCloud
Yeah, I'll take care of the first box. After that it's up to other people.
So...definitely doesn't have to be geeky, just needs to be something with a cohesive theme that is 'interesting'.
But no colon snakes or other unsuitable items, please. You should not be afraid to open the box in front of other people. -
Rivuzu 18,424 posts
Seen 6 hours ago
Registered 15 years ago/Has marvellous idea
But no colon snakes or other unsuitable items, please. You should not be afraid to open the box in front of other people.
/Back to drawing board. -
CharlieStCloud 5,812 posts
Seen 7 years ago
Registered 11 years agoibenam is NOT ALLOWED to volunteer for this then! -
The 'Official EG Colon Snake' is reserved for Secret Santa. It only comes out at xmas! -
Lt_Drebin 285 posts
Seen 1 week ago
Registered 10 years agoThis sounds like a cracking idea. I'd be up for putting something together for this (Mrs Drebin will be on board for contributing to it too as her uncle has MS so it's a cause we already support). Are we allowed to be awkward and highlight months where we might not be able to get a box together though? We're expecting our second child in June so then and July will be spent in a zombie-like state. -
@Lt_Drebin
You are of course free to pick a month that'd suit you, if you fancy putting a box together. -
Lt_Drebin 285 posts
Seen 1 week ago
Registered 10 years ago@zoolophage marvellous .gif)
count me in then. -
Great!
So far we have donation wise:
January - zoolophage (although I should probably change my id to MrZoo given that people keep calling me it lately )
Volunteers:
Lt_Drebin (pick your month)
drhcnip (he told me in another thread - you can also pick your month) -
Lt_Drebin 285 posts
Seen 1 week ago
Registered 10 years ago@zoolophage Oh yeah sorry, can I be put down for March then? -
CharlieStCloud 5,812 posts
Seen 7 years ago
Registered 11 years agoI shall glad take either June or July in respect of Mr. Drebin and his wife's upcoming baby!
... preferably June though because the greatest sport event in the WHOLE WORLD is happening for two weeks in late June, early July, which I always go to and in which I often run out of money (by the end of it all) too.
: ) -
edit: updating with new volunteers
Ok:
Jan - zoolophage
February - tbc
March - Lt_Drebin
April - Truant
May - tbc
June - CharlieStCloud
July - tbc
August - drhcnip
Sept to Dec - tbc
Edited by zoolophage at 13:41:19 02-01-2015 -
drhcnip 6,573 posts
Seen 3 days ago
Registered 12 years agoi'll take august if thats ok then...on school hols then so will have more chance to think about it.... 
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Salaman 24,162 posts
Seen 2 weeks ago
Registered 17 years agoCan I do one in May? -
wrinkly 3,721 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 7 years agoGreat idea, would like later in the year, September ish. Would be willing to donate my lucky pants (still warm and only slightly stained) and I'm sure I have an unopened pack of Werthers Originals somewhere. -
ibenam 3,508 posts
Seen 8 hours ago
Registered 14 years agozoolophage wrote:
Hmm interesting you say? I know just the thing [evil laugh] - I'm in!
It can be anything with an interesting theme...
zoolophage wrote:
And I'm back out!
The 'Official EG Colon Snake' is reserved for Secret Santa. It only comes out at xmas! -
ibenam 3,508 posts
Seen 8 hours ago
Registered 14 years agoPut me in for December Zoo,
That way I can merge my thinking with Secret Santa & I can keep everyone guessing as to which box the colon snake is going in
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Updated list of mystery/geek box donors:
Jan - zoolophage
February - tbc
March - Lt_Drebin
April - Truant
May - Salaman
June - CharlieStCloud
July - tbc
August - drhcnip
September - wrinkly
October -
November -
December - ibenam (yikes!) -
wrinkly 3,721 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 7 years agoWoohoo! September might be fun! -
RyanDS 14,074 posts
Seen 13 hours ago
Registered 13 years agoI would love to join in but i am incredibly unimaginative and could never make a box. Maybe after i have seen a few i will have an idea. -
@RyanDS
You can join in just by entering the raffle every month -
I've started to get things together for January's Mystery/Geek Box. I think it makes sense to have the raffle draw at the end of each month. I'll create a donation page tonight and post more info about how you can participate. -
Psychotext 70,652 posts
Seen 3 days ago
Registered 15 years agoSomeone explain this to me using less text than is in the OP. -
ibenam 3,508 posts
Seen 8 hours ago
Registered 14 years agoEnter monthly raffle, be in with a chance of winning monthly prize.
If you want to volunteer you can own a month to create the aformentioned monthly prize. -
Right, a wave of illness and other minor calamities in casa zoo has somewhat interrupted my plans for the monthly geek box raffle. I've been thinking that a monthly raffle is too frequent given that this is primarily a gaming forum. While you lot are very charitable I think it's better to have a big event once in a while.
So I'm binning the geek box idea. It was a noble idea but perhaps a bit difficult to get people excited about as it would happen too frequently. So what to do instead?
A Summer Raffle. Same idea as the Christmas raffle but during the summer, obviously. Prizes like before...xbox, pc, Nintendo, psn. If you were planning on creating a prize box then you can still do it and offer it up as a prize.
The only change I might make is to have a daily prize draw instead of a big one at the end. So every day in say, June, someone will win a game, eshop credit or a prize box. Would be a little easier to manage from my point of view. And maybe more fun if everyone stands a chance to win something every day.
So that's my plan. It's a thing and will definitely happen. I'll start posting it about in May. You can of course donate anything at all as a prize (but no colon snakes...they only come out at Xmas!). -
Off the hook! \0/
I mean, sorry to hear of the troubles at casa Zoo. Summer raffle sounds good.
.gif)
count me in then. 
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