Hey all,

I know that people have heard a lot about this, but it can't be said enough right now.

There is a drive to help out our friend Fernando in Pittsburgh. For those that don't understand, let me spell this out very simply:

Fernando was the first business in Pittsburgh to openly embrace the idea of catering his business to Anthrocon for the duration of the convention. This included making t-shirts, renaming the restaurant, putting out little pawprints in sidewalk chalk to entice furries in, and serving food in dog bowls as part of special promotions.

Fernando openly communicates with the Anthrocon Board of Directors to try and work with the convention, and even undertook extra debt just to try and make his business run until AC2012.

Fernando literally took a rock (brick) to the head while making a hostile vagrant leave his establishment so that the furries that were there would feel safe.

Fernando has openly stated to the Pittsburgh media that Anthrocon is "the most important" event on his calendar. He's stated that we represent a full 25% of his annual revenue in one single weekend.

When Fernando realized that he wouldn't make it to AC2012, .. *HE CONTACTED US* to let us know about it. that's how important we have become to him. If we were just another customer, he wouldn't have bothered. But we're not....we're FRIENDS to this small business.

Now I'm not saying that we need to extend pity to this man or his business. I am saying that this man has proven himself to be a good ally for Anthrocon and the furry community in Pittsburgh. He's been genuinely good and thoughtful in how he does business with us, and he respects us. When AC was in other cities, no restaurant reached out to us like Fernando's has. Yes we have tried to build excellent relationships with the other restaurants in the city....but Fernando's is special to us. That's why I, along with so many others, are asking folks to please try to donate even a couple of dollars to this small businessman. Perhaps we can help save his business, perhaps we cannot. But let's at the very least...show him our gratitude for the dignity and respect he showed to us. Show him that as a community, furries care about those that care about us. And as an event, Anthrocon (and furry as a while) can demonstrate to the city of Pittsburgh, that we reciprocate when businesses treat us (as a group) as valued customers.

If you can spare any amount, please consider donating it to Fernando. You can do so by going to this journal entry and clicking the donate link:

http://unclekage.livejournal.com/140100.html

Remember, many little drops make a flood. Even if you can only give $1...when lots of us give that dollar..it adds up to a lot!

Thanks for listening folks, and being part of a great community.