FAQ: Life-size Yoda & Watto Fundraiser

[Tycho]

I wanted to make myself available to answer all frequently asked questions about Yoda and Watto for the Park & Recreation Foundation foundraiser here.

This is in regards to the homepage charity drive with the article that reads as follows:


Bring LIFE-SIZE Yoda and Watto home and save at tax time!

Pepsi Cola has donated half a dozen realistic life-size Wattos and Yodas to the San Diego Friends of Parks Foundation to use in fundraising. Your tax-deductible purchase of Watto or Yoda at $450 each will go to fund after-school park programs for kids in San Diego, and improve existing park facilities during a difficult budget crisis. These are the same high quality, life-size characters you saw promoting The Phantom Menace at Wal*Mart stores and Blockbuster Video - but your Watto or Yoda is mint, and brand new in its original box! Master Yoda has real cloth Jedi robes, rooted hair, and his gimmer stick. Watto is wearing real leather clothing, an "afternoon shadow," and has mechanical accessories, plus an adjustable stand to simulate him flying at adult head-level!

Better yet, attendees at the San Diego Comic Con can pick up their Watto or Yoda personally and be honored by the Friends of Parks Foundation at this Star Wars-filled event, with special bonuses in store for our donors. For more information, contact SirStevesGuide's own Tycho, who sits on the Foundation's Board of Trustees, at weiselbe@aznet.net. Buyers will arrange to pay shipping and handle those details then. Shipping is limited to inside the continental U.S.A.

You can learn more about the City of San Diego's Friends of Park and Recreation Foundation programs at: http://www.sannet.gov/park-and-recreation/general-info/friends.shtml

Comic Con Attendees: please visit our parks and enjoy your California summer by surfing, hiking, boating, jogging, bicycling, and looking over our tourist program information for the many sporting activities you can enjoy during your stay in beautiful San Diego.

[Exhaust Port]

What a great way to raise money. I hope they sell them all. Next year I'd like to see the life-size Tie Fighter or X-Wing.

[scruffziller]

Yea and the real life size Death Star too!!!!:evil: Closer than you think.

[JEDIpartner]

You guys are weird... :rolleyes:



;)

[JediTricks]

Tycho, how come they're not more expensive if they're for charity? $450 a piece x 6 of them only = $2700, I know the SD parks department could certainly use more money than that. It's very generous and noble to do this, I'm just curious why it isn't generating more for a worthy cause.

[Tycho]

These items are also being sold by independent sellers on e-Bay.

The auctions I've watched closed at about the same price ($450).

They don't include shipping, which could be as much as $150 for Yoda, and more for Watto, since he comes in 2 heavy boxes due to his industrial strenght stand that makes him fly. The boxes are also the size of small entertainment centers.

So people buying them from us, will also have to pay for shipping.

Thus my board agreed to set the price at fair market rate.

But the advantage from donating to Friends of Park & Rec Foundation for your Yoda and Watto is that it comes with certification of our organization's Non-Profit status, thus allowing you to deduct your moeny for your donation from your 2003 taxes.

You can't get that from buying these items on e-Bay.

Meanwhile, you are making a great contribution to worthwhile park programs that help our children.

People that want to donate more money can do so. We'll send Watto and Yoda for as long as they are available, to everyone wanting one and donating over $450. (while supplies last - and I think we have 6 Wattos and 3 more Yodas left as I post, due to the tremendous and fast response to this charitable opportunity to get rare Star Wars items).

People wanting to just make any donation of any amount from $10-15 to the $1,000s are welcome to mail their checks or money orders to:

Pete Stipp
San Diego Friends of Parks and Recreation Foundation
1525 Graves Ave. Suite 122
El Cajon, CA 92021

They should specify that the check is for a donation, and we'll send them a thank you letter and information to help them identify their contribution so that they might deduct it from their taxes.

Again, large donors contributing $450 or more (plus shipping) who want Yoda or Watto, should specify that info in their e-mail to me at weiselbe@aznet.net

Meanwhile, you can visit http://www.sannet.gov/park-and-recreation/general-info/friends.shtml to learn more about the programs your money will support. I know for a fact we are using significant money to buy children's outdoor play equipment for an unequipped park not 5 minutes from where I live, and across the street from an elementary school and down the road from a private grade school.

Thank you in advance for anyone who wants to make a donation but cannot afford a Watto or Yoda, or is only interested in sponsoring places and recreation programs for our kids.

[Exhaust Port]

Am I to understand that the eBay auction method eliminates the ability of an organization to offer a Tax Deduction status? I'm just curious. I'm with JediTricks and was suprised that they didn't go for more or at least be put up in an auction forum to generate more funds. When it comes to supporting organizations like this people will bid crazy prices for common things let alone rare things such as these. I've been guilty of that. My bidding on one item alone will be paying for one scholarships awards for the next 2 years alone. Those crazy kids better be thankful! :D

[Tycho]

Good point. We did do about 3 e-Bay sales in the beginning. Park & Rec can offer tax deductible status for an e-Bay auction, however, the more of an item you put up on e-bay, the lower the price you claim.

I've observed about 4 of the Yodas on independent auctions. Watto seems to be more rare on e-Bay, and with 12 of each of them originally, the less we'd get, if all of them were auctioned at once.

But they need to be sold now, as playground improvements and a larger chairty golf tournament needs to be funded, set up and ran, in order to raise even more money from a broader audience.

What's happened was Pepsi gave Park & Rec these Star Wars characters over a year ago, and our Foundation paid storage on them to keep them mint. Then the current older board members had no idea how to sell them, and until the City got into a budget crunch and started cutting after-school programs and sports and stuff, as well as park refurbishment and daily maintainence (I mean you want the sand at the beaches raked, and you want the public restrooms cleaned!) these Star Wars items were almost forgotten.

Pete (also a fan and casual collector of some items) got involved and knew how to use e-Bay, but didnt really know the SW online community. In the course of my public service, I'd volunteered for Park & Rec and helping kids in my community, as well as land development (my area of expertise I do consulting in). Well parks don't generate sales tax, so it's hard for cities to get them voted on. However, I found out about the Yodas and Wattos shortly after I was encouraged to run for election and knew I needed to raise some money or Pepsi wants to transfer the characters to another charity that would make use of them.

I just happened to know a little about Star Wars and had aquaintance with a great fan who happened to be a webmaster for a great SW site I've been involved with for 7 years...

So here we are.

I also know something about the collectors and wanted the price to be fair for all of you. Market rate seems to be set by e-Bay, so here it is: a fair price for these! (but ours are tax deductible!) Nothing is stopping anyone from contributing further to our programs at the address above that I provided. And we're grateful that Star Wars fans care about our Younglings.

[Exhaust Port]

Interesting issues you have to think through. Good luck with the whole deal.

[JediTricks]

Too bad these couldn't get out there right around Ep 2's release, I have a feeling there would have been more money to be had then. Good luck to the charity!