Help Little Dean meet his idol!

Fundraising campaign by Janna Balthaser
  • US$2,024.00
    raised of $2,390.00 goal goal
84% Funded
75 Donors

No more donations are being accepted at this time. Please contact the campaign owner if you would like to discuss further funding opportunities

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Getting close, but we still need your help! Enough money has been raised that we told Keillan he'll get to meet Jensen, holding out faith that the entire amount needed will be raised in time for the Dallas convention.

Please read the latest update here: Keillan just found out he's going to meet Jensen! Watch the video of him finding out HERE

The Supernatural fandom is capable of great acts of kindness. And right here, happening before your eyes is another one. 

By now, many of you have seen the video. That little boy, tricked out in full Dean Winchester attire, doing a spot-on rendition of the Supernatural outtake where Jensen Ackles improvises to Eye of the Tiger. Perfectly capturing the little wiggle of his hips? Popping the collar? The cocky attitude when he stands and raises his arms up?

No? You haven't seen it yet?

Watch Jensen's original video HERE 

And Keillan's version HERE  

And the two together on youtube doubler HERE 

I don't know Keillan or his mother. Never met them. Never spoke. But I was so struck by how perfectly Keillan nailed Jensen's Eye of the Tiger that I reached out to them and told them I wanted to try to get them to a convention so Keillan could meet his idol.

This isn't curing cancer. But it would literally change the life of one sweet little boy. 

Just imagine it. He recreated the Eye of the Tiger routine perfectly. I mean, PERFECTLY. Imagine how many times he had to watch that to learn it just right. Think about what that means about how much he loves Jensen. How much he loves Dean.

Imagine this little boy flying to a convention to meet Jensen, which he and his mom will NEVER be able to afford to do without help. Him fidgeting with excitement, waiting in line for his photo op. Jensen leaning down to say hi. This little boy looking up. At Jensen. 

Imagine the look on his face.

Imagine you helped put it there.

Keillan's mother is a nurse with seven children. She pays her bills and gives everything to her family, but has never even been on vacation. She would love for Keillan to meet his idol, Jensen Ackles, but would never be able to do this on her own. 

But we can. And we are.

What do we need? Money to get them to a convention, a place to stay, tickets to get them in, one Jensen Ackles photo op

How much do we need? That depends on how much we can raise.

As much money as we can raise for them will go toward getting them to the Dallas Supernatural convention in 2013. Of all the Supernatural conventions, I believe Dallas is the best choice because the people there were so incredibly warm and welcoming to me when I attended the convention this year, all alone and scared and terribly insecure.  And Texas is Jensen and Jared's home state, and they were so relaxed and at ease. I can think of no better place than Dallas and no better people than HomeCon fans to give Keillan and his mother a warm welcome. 

Out of all the Supernatural fans in the world, this boy needs to meet Jensen. And Jensen needs to meet Keillan. And this awesome kid is going to go to Dallas for the whole deal, even if it means I don't get to go myself. Just imagine him. Seeing all the guests and panels? Up on stage at karaoke doing Eye of the Tiger? Walking around the convention soaking up the love as people recognize him as Little Dean?

He is going to remember it his whole life. And so will his mom.

So I set the goal here high enough to give the best possible experience to Keillan and his mother. Whatever we can raise will go towards helping Keillan meet his idol. 

I researched all the prices, and these are the maximum estimated costs

Round-trip airfare: $571.20 (PAID FOR! Even though the fundraiser is a little short so far, I covered the difference to make sure they get to go)

Hotel room for four nights: $614.80 (counting tax, fees, etc) (PAID FOR)

Silver Package Weekend tickets for two: $813.50 (including fees) PURCHASED

Photo op with Jensen Ackles: $126.75 (including fee) (PURCHASED)

Traveling expenses (taxi, shuttle, incidentals): $100 (pre-paid card, PURCHASED)

Subtotal: $2226.25 

Plus: 4.0% in fees for gogetfunding ($89.05) + 2.9% in fees charged by PayPal ($64.56):  $153.61

Plus a $0.30 per donation in a PayPal transaction fee

Total: around $2390. Should this lofty goal actually be reached, any extra money (with your consent) would go toward:

  • Feeding them both during the convention
  • A photo op with both Jared and Jensen, or a second photo op with Jensen
  • A photo op with Misha Collins, or other cast members of Keillan's choice

Please, let's show this little boy the best of what the Supernatural fandom can do--what people can do-- and how we come together for each other. Let's show everyone how the Supernatural family is all about love in action.

TO CORRECT SOME INCORRECT ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THIS FUNDRAISER:

  • Keillan's mother did not start this fundraiser.

I started this fundraiser because I saw that video and wanted to get this boy to meet his idol. He genuinely loves Dean Winchester. His mom has nothing to do with this fundraiser being started. I live on the West Coast. They live thousands of miles away. I've never met them before. I've never even spoken to them, and we have no friends in common.  The first time I ever heard of this kid was watching the YouTube video he made. I sent his mother a message on YouTube, and asked her if I attempted to start a fundraiser to get him to a Supernatural convention, would they be willing and able to attend, and would she take him? She said sure, that would make him so happy. HIM. Not her.

  • Keillan's mother is not the Supernatural fan in the family.

That's Keillan. She supervises him watching the show, but she is not a fan of the show in the sense of knowing or caring who the actors are. He is the one who puts together fan videos, like this and his Hunter supplies video. He's not being coached. This is all him.

  • This is for Keillan, set into motion by me.

His mother is not organizing it, she is not trying to make contact with any actors, she is not trying to get a free trip, she is not trying to meet the actors. I'm certainly not profiting from it, and have put in a lot of my own money to make this happen. If I could have afforded it, I would have simply, quietly, paid for the entire thing myself.

This is a stranger trying to do an act of kindness for a sweet little boy. It is a genuinely altrustic gesture on my part (except that yes, it's going to make me feel good about myself for having done it), and those who have donated money and time to making this happen. I wanted his mother to be able to go too, because of course his mother has to come with him, and because she's a nurse with seven kids and she's never been on vacation in her entire life. It seemed to me a woman like that who works hard and gives all her money to her family deserved something nice to happen to her too,  while getting her awesome son to Dallas to meet Jensen. 

Rewards

For a donation of $5 or more, you will receive our eternal gratitude, and the knowledge that you did something kind for a very sweet little boy.

11 Backers

11x17 print of this custom Supernatural poster, NOT for sale anywhere. If you like this, this is the ONLY way you can get it http://twitpic.com/czk3ok

3 Backers

24x30 print of this custom Supernatural poster, not for sale. Again, this it the only way you can get this poster. http://twitpic.com/czk3ok

1 Backers

Organizer

Donors

  • Guest
  • Donated on Sep 01, 2013
Amount Hidden
Amount Hidden
  • Nicole
  • Donated on Aug 28, 2013
$5.00
Apr 24

Keillan just found out he's going to meet Jensen!

Update posted by Janna Balthaser at 08:02 pm

Here's an image from the reaction video taken of Keillan getting the Silver/Preferred Weekend tickets, and learning for the first time that we're sending him to Dallas to meet Jensen and all the stars of Supernatural! As soon as I get a copy of the video that I can share,. . . . .

See update
0
Jan 24

New donation rewards added

Update posted by Janna Balthaser at 08:08 pm

I designed and commissioned this poster for myself and a few friends. This poster is not for sale anywhere. The copyright holders of Supernatural, the Impala, the quote, the shot from the show, the characters of Sam and Dean, etc., own all of that content. The poster design is mine,. . . . .

See update
0
Dec 22

Will need to extend the deadline

Update posted by Janna Balthaser at 01:50 am

You have all been so supportive and generous. I am so moved by your kindness, and Keillan's mother has been in tears over it. Yet we have not raised enough to be able to know for sure that the funds will be enough to get Keillan to Dallas. But it's. . . . .

See update
0

Donors & Comments

75 donors
  • Guest
  • Donated on Sep 01, 2013
Amount Hidden
Amount Hidden
  • Nicole
  • Donated on Aug 28, 2013
$5.00
  • Bethany
  • Donated on Aug 24, 2013
$75.00
  • Holly Ashleigh
  • Donated on Aug 24, 2013
  • Hope this helps, this is such an great idea and I'm so proud of the spn family for making this happen. We are awesome!

$75.00
  • Guest
  • Donated on Aug 24, 2013
  • Go little dean! :D

$10.00
  • Adina J
  • Donated on Aug 18, 2013
  • Here's a little something more for Keillan's cause!

Amount Hidden
  • Rachel
  • Donated on Aug 17, 2013
Amount Hidden
  • J.Marie Trueman
  • Donated on Aug 17, 2013
  • Anxious to meet the little fella!

$25.00
  • Cyndi
  • Donated on Aug 16, 2013
$5.00
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Followers

17 followers
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US$2,024.00
raised of $2,390.00 goal
84% Funded
75 Donors

No more donations are being accepted at this time. Please contact the campaign owner if you would like to discuss further funding opportunities