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Note: We are no longer taking donations, as we have met our goal and the ad has run in The Hollywood Reporter. To see the ad, go here.
Support Ad for Michael
In light of recent events and rumors about Michael's future on "Alias," we at The Safe House wanted a way to show our support and appreciation for Michael, and we decided that an advertisement in a Hollywood trade publication would be a good way to do that.
The Purpose
Since other aspects of the campaign are focusing on ABC and Bad Robot, we decided that we want the ad to be strictly about showing our love, appreciation and support for Michael. We are not intending the ad to be a "message" to ABC or Bad Robot in regard to his status on "Alias" (though we hope they may take it as one ;-). We want the ad to be FOR Michael, FROM his fans, as a gesture of pure goodwill with no outside agenda. If it brings Michael to the positive attention of other Hollywood executives and casting agents, so much the better, but that's not the object. The object is to show Michael that he has a lot of fans who support him.
The Goal
Our goal is to purchase a full-page, black-and-white advertisement in The Hollywood Reporter, which is one of the leading industry publications and has a daily circulation of 35,422 subscribers. The cost of this on any day other than Tuesday (their international edition) is $3,180. If we want the ad to bleed (that's a design term which means that there will be no border on the ad -- the design will go to the edge of the page), the cost will be $3,498. If we raise $4,735, we can add one color to the advertisement. So, in essence, the goals are staged:
Goal #1: $3,180
Goal #2: $3,498
Goal #3: $4,735
For the record, a half-page, black-and-white ad is $1,930, but we don't want to settle for that. Michael deserves a page of his own!
How can you donate?
By credit card or debit card with PayPal:
We have set up a PayPal account to accept donations by credit or debit card. This is the fastest way to donate, since we do not have to wait for a check to clear in order to use the funds. If you already have a PayPal account with a balance, you can directly transfer funds. If you do not have a PayPal account, you can simply pay by credit card by pressing the "Secure Checkout" button after selecting the option "If you do not currently have a PayPal account." PayPal uses a secure server, which you can read about here. In case you are concerned about this, we won't be able to see your credit-card number at all, because PayPal will take care of the transfer. Click on the following button to make a donation (enter "MV ad" in the "Payment for" blank):
Or you can click on this link, then either log in (if you already have a PayPal account), sign up for an account, or simply click on "Send Money" and enter donation@vartanho.com as the e-mail address that you're sending money to.
It would also be great if you could drop an e-mail to mel@vartanho.com when you've donated to alert us to check the box.
What happens if we raise more money than we need?
Any money that we raise that is not needed to purchase the ad will be donated to a charity in Michael's name, either the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (which Freeze the Diease raised money for) or the Pediatric Epilepsy Project (which Greg Grunberg is heavily involved with because of his son). We will provide updates on the total raised as we go along, so you'll be able to see how it's going.
Disclaimer:
For tax purposes, we wish to make it clear that any donation is a gift from you, the donor, to the Webmistresses of The Safe House for the specific purpose of buying an ad in The Hollywood Reporter in honor of Michael Vartan. We are not a charity, and your donation is not tax-deductible. Any money collected above the cost of the ad will be donated to charity in Michael Vartan's name. We will post a full accounting once funds have been distributed.
How much can you afford?
Without a doubt, every little bit helps. For comparison, aprildancer at the MV Campaign message boards came up with some interesting math about how much someone might spend on "Alias"-related merchandise:
S4 DVD retail price: $59.59
"Alias" 2006 Wall calendar: $12
One prequel or APO novel: $6.99
Soon-to-be-published Authorized Personnel Only: $17.95
Recently published Alias Assumed: Sex, Lies and SD06: $14.95
"Alias" magazine (one issue): $7.00
That's a total of almost ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS!
Or, if you buy a frappuccino at Starbucks every day, depending on the size and type, that works out to about $15-$20 a week.
If you have any questions about anything, please e-mail us at
thesafehouse@vartanho.com.
Thank you for showing your support for Michael!
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