... and I'll be playing for

Oh my.  So, here's me doing Scalzi's homework assignment about product/charity endorsements and I go all batty about Easy Spirit shoes when nearly everyone else who does it endorses a charity along with their product.  So, everyone else on AOL-J is nice and caring and giving, and I'm the heartless wench with the shoe collection.  Mm-hmm.

So, better late than never, eh? 

Whenever I watch "Celebrity Jeopardy" (or Celebrity Any Other Game Show), I generally think I could clean the clocks of the opposition.  Really.  They dumb the shows down for the celebs, making the celebrities look more impressive.  (I mean, what celeb would agree to be on Celebrity Who Wants To Be A Millionaire if they know they're going to tank the $300 question?)  I imagine myself going on these shows, and cleaning up, thereby winning big piles of money for charity.

And when Alex or Regis or Whoever asks me who I'm playing for, I answer: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

It's a pretty easy call, actually.  I am a Theatre Geek, and, therefore, I support BC/EFA.  It's the Charity of Choice for Theatre Geeks -- if you've ever thrown a dollar into the basket after a curtain speech, or bought something at a performance (either on Broadway or on the road) that they've been selling for charity, chances are that the money went to BC/EFA.  They're also surprisingly easy to support, as you frequently get stuff for your money.  (And stuff is way better than a tax deduction anyway.)  Stuff like autographed CDs from Broadway performers, autographed show posters, or tickets to sold-out shows.  Every year, they have a huge Broadway Flea Market where they auction off incredible things like walk-ons in Broadway shows.  But they also sell stuff in substantially lower price ranges -- like used props, or photo ops, or an autograph or two from the "celebrity table," -- so you can pick up Broadway collectibles for a few bucks and support the cause at the same time.  Everybody wins!

To tell you the truth, that's one of the things I like about BC/EFA, which makes them preferable to other AIDS charities (and other charities entirely) that I support -- the fact that they are set up to enable people to support them with itty bitty donations.  Bugs the heck out of me to get a "send us money" letter that includes checkboxes for the amount of my anticipated donation that begin with $50 and go on up.  Even though they all say "Any donation will help," I don't like a solicitation that goes out of its way to make me feel cheap if I respond with a small donation.  BC/EFA is completely on top of the idea that if everyone in the theatre throws a buck in the basket, they've got $1500, and they go out of their way to make you want to throw that buck in.

I've been supporting BC/EFA for years -- either through straight donations or by buying stuff at the Flea Markets or online auctions.  But what really gave me the warm fuzzies was when I was able to donate something to be sold at the Flea Market one year.  Earlier in the year, I had interviewed two actors who had supporting roles in a Broadway musical.  I transcribed the interview; printed out a bunch of copies, and sent them to the actors to sign.  They sold the autographed copies for a buck each at the Flea Market that year, and I'm told they sold the lot.  :)