Jan 3, 2013
Offhand hobbit comment inspires prankster philanthropy
Some of the most creative fundraising starts with an offhand remark, perhaps even a sarcastic jab, followed by a classic light bulb moment. For example, one person - for the sake of argument, let's say he's a distinguished professor at NC State - might comment via social media about "The Hobbit" that nobody could pay him enough money to see the movie. Bemused friends joke that the challenge should be posted on eBay or Kickstarter. That's when friends quickly organized an online drive to persuade Professor John Kessel, winner of a Nebula Award for science fiction/fantasy writing and a member of the CHASS Department of English, to turn the joke into a serious fundraiser.