Pat won a Noble Globe Award!

First of all, we’d like to mention an auction that’s going on: the opportunity to play King of Tokyo with Pat Rothfuss! You’ll be part of a tiny group of folks hanging out and playing at GenCon 2016 (August 4-7, 2016). This auction is actually run by Heifer International, and all the proceeds will directly benefit them. It ends at 3:50 PM EDT on Sept. 22 (that’s this Tuesday), so bid now!

Second, we’re excited to announce that this weekend, the Worldbuilders staff will join our friends at Heifer International for their annual Beyond Hunger: A Place at the Table event in Beverly Hills, California! The event kicks off at 6:30pm on September 18th. Amanda, Rachel, and Jeff will be on the red carpet with Pat and his family, hobnobbing with some super-high-profile Heifer supporters!

This swanky event is held every year by Heifer International to raise awareness of some of their programs, and this year, they’re bringing marginalized women into the spotlight. Heifer knows that women have an integral role in helping communities flourish. Overall, women tend to work together better, keep more money in their own families and communities, and consider the greater societal good over personal gain. Heifer’s belief in the importance of women and womens’ groups worldwide is borne out again and again through their past and ongoing programs.

Beyond Hunger is also a way to bring Heifer’s message to a wider audience by creating a star-studded spectacle. Some names you might recognize will be attending and helping organize the event: Diane Lane, Joh and Kirsten Heder, Rainn Wilson and Holiday Reinhorn, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, Susan Sarandon, Ed Asner, Mindy Cohn, David Cross, Carson Daly, Allison Janney, and many more will join Heifer for the evening.

It’s probably no surprise that Pat will be there as well, but you might be interested to know that he’ll be receiving one of Heifer’s Noble Globe awards. This award is given out to folks who educate and inform people about the issues Heifer tackles, who pitch in to help Heifer with their work, and who demonstrate a commitment to the goals Heifer International pursues: ending hunger and poverty.

So this is a big deal!

Pat won’t make a big deal out of it, though, and that’s where we come in. He always downplays his crazy impulse to help people. Back when The Name of the Wind hit the New York Times Bestseller list, and he actually had some real money for the first time in his life, he panicked and decided to give it away. Heifer was the first thing that crossed his mind. Since then, he’s worked very hard to make sure Worldbuilders is a force to be reckoned with. He’s always deeply involved in our fundraisers, and he pushes himself to get better every year. His optimism seems neverending, fueling all of us here, driving us to do the absolute best we can. The Noble Globe award didn’t just drop out of the sky for no reason.

We just want to let you guys know that the entire Worldbuilders staff, including Pat, realizes that we can jump around and cheer on Heifer as much as we want and still not get anywhere. What earned Pat this award, and what makes Worldbuilders successful, is the fact that you guys listen to us, you agree that Heifer is doing some awesome work, and you’re willing to pitch in yourselves to help them set people on the path to being self-sufficient.

Pat is accepting this award on your behalf. Thanks for being the best army of geeks and gamers the world has ever known.

Third, we will be extending our Mercy Corps fundraiser for Syrian refugees through this Wednesday, September 23. A few of you have expressed concern that bank transfers and paychecks aren’t co-operating with such a tight schedule, so we’re going to add a little more time. Also, that’s just Worldbuilders style. Thank you so much to everyone who’s contributed.