Solving the Riddle: A Global Charity Event

Solving the RiddleSolving the Riddle

A Global Charity Event

Over the last three years, L5R players have raised approximately $21,000 L5R for the fight against pancreatic cancer in the first three Solving the Riddle Global Charity Events. This October, we will once again have the chance to demonstrate our dedication to helping others by raising donations to fund pancreatic cancer research and patient support. Once more, players from all nine Clans of Rokugan will unite to help Solve the Riddle of this scourge!

While pancreatic cancer does not receive as much press attention as other, it is often a death sentence and financially devastating to the families affected. In most patients, the cancer goes undetected until it has metastasized, and the average life expectancy after diagnosis is 3-6 months. Overall, the five-year survival rate for all pancreatic cancer patients is only 5% – the lowest survival rate of all major cancers. But pancreatic cancer only receives a tiny fraction of cancer research dollars. And many insurance companies balk at paying for the currently-exorbitant costs of the aggressive treatments necessary for patients to have a chance at being in that 5% of patients.

All proceeds from Solving the Riddle will benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (http://www.pancan.org). The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is a non-profit organization committed to a comprehensive approach to fighting pancreatic cancer. The organization funds direct research grants, advocates for additional research funding from governmental organizations, produces educational and awareness raising programs, and provides direct support to patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Solving the Riddle events may be run in your local Stronghold Store, or anywhere that Legend of the Five Rings players want to unite in the spirit of charity. A Solving the Riddle event may use the constructed, sealed deck, draft, or War of Honor formats. Anyone, whether or not they attend a tournament, is also welcome to make an independent donation through Solving the Riddle, which will still count for which Clan gets the prize for most donations.

Donation: Particular admission costs (and how much, if any, of that cost to consume with product support) are left to the discretion of the tournament organizer. However, there should be a minimum of a $10 (or the local currency equivalent) donation per player (above and beyond that necessary for product support).

Winning:

Physical Prizes: The winning player at each event will receive an exclusive custom prize created just for this Global Charity Storyline Event. And I do mean exclusive – exactly one prize will be created for each tournament, and provided to the winner. Previous prizes have been custom honor counters and deck backers. This year the prizes will be custom playmats. Because of the need to make sure that the correct number of prizes is produced, these prizes will be mailed to the winners of the tournaments after the fact. The costs of producing and shipping the prizes will not come out of the funds raised by these tournaments (I am paying the costs), so the money you helped raise can be fully submitted to PanCan. Tournament organizers may also provide additional product prizes.

“Service” Prize: The Clan that donates the most for Solving the Riddle 2011 will earn the services of the Strange Assembly cast at upcoming storyline events. Each of us (Chris Stevenson, Trevor Valentine, Kevin Kennedy, Jay Earle, Justin Purdy, and Jon Freeman) will play the winning clan at our next storyline event. The winner of each StR tourney gets credit for the entry fee donations for his event. Additional donations may be credited to any Clan.

Event Dates: These events may be held at any time during the month of October 2011. Existing storyline tournaments may choose to be StR charity events (for example, the Favored of the Void Dragon tournament in Atlanta on October 1, 2011, will be a Solving the Riddle tournament).

Reporting: Tournament organizers should report the size of the donation, the winner’s name, the winner’s mailing address (for shipment of the physical prize), and winner’s clan affiliation via e-mail. Donations are typically routed through me to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (because it makes the logistics much easier for the charity, and makes it much easier for me to verify that the donation has been made), but can be directly submitted to the charity if you let me know ahead of time. The method of transmitting payment will be worked out on a case-by-case basis to minimize transactions fees, with U.S. organizers encouraged to send the funds via check. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail (chris@strangeassembly.com) with any questions.

Solving the Riddle updates will be most easily found on the dedicated thread on the AEG forums, including prize updates and event locations/dates.

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