Firefly

The California Browncoats fan group will be working hard at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego, July 19-23, to raise money for the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides college scholarships for children of fallen Marines.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 8, 2006 — Amid the frenetic fun of a hundred thousand or so people "getting their geek on" at Comic-Con International in San Diego July 19-23, the California Browncoats will be working hard to raise money for a great cause: the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation. MC-LEF provides college scholarships to the surviving children of fallen Marines, federal law enforcement officers and other military personnel killed in the line of duty.

Each year, enthusiasts of comics, science fiction, and popular culture congregate at Comic-Con, virtually taking over San Diego for most of a week. The Browncoats are right at home there, with their special passion being "Firefly," a short-lived science fiction/future western TV series, and its follow up feature film, "Serenity."

Beyond being fans of a TV show and movie, Browncoats are an international community with a track record of raising money and awareness for charities, especially those supported by the creator and stars of "Firefly" and "Serenity." Said one California Browncoat, "We’re geeks for ’Firefly’ and ’Serenity,’ but we’re also geeks for doing good."

In June, the California Browncoats (with local groups from San Francisco to San Diego) raised $10,000 for charity as part of an international Browncoat fundraiser, and they’re at it again at Comic-Con. This time they’re raising money for the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation (MC-LEF), rated 4-stars by Charity Navigator.

Donations will be collected July 19-23 at the California Browncoats booth at A11/A12 in the Exhibit Hall of the San Diego Convention Center. Those who can’t make it to Comic-Con may donate online or by mail (see http://www.californiabrowncoats.org for info and rules.)

MC-LEF is proudly supported by Adam Baldwin, one of the stars of "Firefly" and "Serenity" and veteran actor ("Full Metal Jacket", "Independence Day", "X-Files"). In a statement, Baldwin said, "generous donations to this noble cause will help ensure that the children of our fallen heroes are given the opportunity to continue toward the dreams they and their families envision."

Baldwin has donated his personal collection of original screenplays from "Firefly" and "Serenity" (autographed by the cast and creator Joss Whedon) to kick-start fundraising for MC-LEF. The "Serenity" screenplay will be the grand prize in the "thank you" prize drawing to be held on July 23 for those who donate. In addition, there will be a wide array of prizes appealing to fans of "Battlestar Galactica," "Babylon 5," "Stargate," "Star Trek," "X-Men," "Lord of the Rings," "King Kong" and more.

Once Comic-Con is over, the California Browncoats will immediately leap back into the fundraising fray. They’ll be continuing eBay auctions of Adam Baldwin’s "Firefly" screenplays through October to benefit MC-LEF, auctioning a costume from "Serenity" in August on eBay to benefit Equality Now, and planning for the December fundraiser (last year’s was for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.)

Quoting from "Firefly," the California Browncoats say they’re "just happy to be doin’ good works." And they’re doing a lot of it.

To learn more about the California Browncoats and their fundraising efforts, please visit http://www.californiabrowncoats.org.