Vancouver or Bust!

It probably wouldn't surprise you to hear that Magic: the Gathering means a lot to me. For almost a full year now I've been podcasting my heart out, working tournaments and doing everything I can to grow the Magic community in Newfoundland, in Canada and online. I don't plan to stop. I love the game, I love what it did and continues to do for me. I wouldn't spend all this time on it otherwise.

This past year, the Magic community banded together and sent not one but two of our own across the vast country of Canada to attend Magic tournaments. At the prompting of my good friends Jack LaCroix, Jay Boosh and Scotty Mac, I am here to ask you to try and do it again.

If you listen to my podcasts you likely know that I can only travel to Canadian events. As a judge who has no major events nearby, a Canadian Grand Prix is as big for me as it's going to get. I need to judge large events from time to time in order to keep my skills sharp, but also to interact with all the communities that I am working so hard to grow. When the first Canadian GP of 2012 was announced as being in Vancouver, my heart kind of sank. "Why?" you may ask. "Isn't that exactly what you want?" Well, here's why:



Yeah, that's a long way. And it's not cheap. Without going into details, I am not in a position right now to make this trip without your help. With all the podcasting and Magic luminaries, all the listeners, all the PEOPLE that will be at this event, it would break my heart to miss it. So with that in mind I am asking you, all of you, to help me get there. Help me meet the people I have worked with only through Skype. Help me continue to contribute to Canadian Magic by helping to judge this event. Help me meet those of you who will be there and who give me a reason to podcast, to write, to tweet about Magic.

I am currently collecting prize contributions from various people for a raffle, similar to the one Jay Boosh did for his trip. I'll be adding the prizes to this post as they are donated. If you want to help out, simply send a PayPal donation to chris.lansdell@nl.rogers.com . Every $5 you donate gets you 5 entries to the raffle. Donate as little or as much as you can, I will be so very grateful. In the event that more is raised than I need to get me to Vancouver, or that I do not raise enough to get me there, the excess will be contributed to Gamers Helping Gamers, the charity being set up by Jon Finkel and his friends.

Getting to Vancouver would mean so much to me. I'd get to meet people like Jay, Marshall from Limited Resources, Smitty from 60cards, Christine the Elspeth Chick and countless others. I'd get to reconnect with KYT, Scotty, all the judge crew and all the listeners I've met before. It's going to be an epic time and I'm hoping I can take part. Whatever happens, thank you for listening to me, reading me, following me. If I've ever made one of you smile, it makes everything worth it.

UPDATE! The first batch of prizes for the raffle are in, and are listed below. Thanks to everyone who has contributed cash or prizes so far!

The deadline for donating is going to be April 30.

Added December 20:
Judge foil Doubling Season
Judge foil Goblin Welder
Courtesy of Jay Boosh, a large selection of foil basic lands
Courtesy of Justin Richardson, a playset of altered Squadron Hawks
Courtesy of Christine Sprankle aka Elspeth, a signed Elspeth Tirel
Courtesy of Don "The Behoover" Wiggins of Don's Magic and Sundry, a pair of French Renaissance boosters
Added January 5
Courtesy of Limited Gaming, a pair of Planechase Zombie Empire Decks!
Courtesy of Jack LaCroix, a sweet playmat!
Added January 8
Courtesy of Hairy Tarantula in Toronto, a sealed Premium Deck Series: Graveborn!
Courtesy of Derfington, an altered card to be determined!
Courtesy of Andy from CommanderCast, a Savra EDH deck. The WHOLE DECK.

More prizes will be added as they are contributed!