NEW CAMPAIGN WITH NEW BENEFITS!
We want to thank everyone for the tremendous support we are receiving, but we are not finished, yet! In our original campaign, we set our goal incredibly low, since no poetry group in Utah had ever made more than a few hundred dollars via online fundraising sites. And then we reached that goal in less than two weeks! We were amazed, but we still have a long way to go if we're going to make it to Boston. In actuality, we will need a total of $5,000 to cover all the expenses. So, we've started this new campaign to avoid any confusion. Thank you for all your continued support! We love you already just for clicking on the links to get you here!!
What We're About
We are the Wasatch Wordsmiths, a small group of poets voted via poetry slam to represent outer Salt Lake City, Utah, at the 2013 National Poetry Slam. This unique group of poets, consisting of Joseph Kyle Rogan (JoKyR), Tami Porter-Jones, DeAnn Emett, Adam Love, and Gray, are joining forces and combining their unique writing styles to make the Wasatch Front and Utah proud! We spend all year writing, performing and competing in our community. We also volunteer and perform for other organizations throughout the year to help further causes like The Road Home, The Rape Recovery Center, Slutwalk, and more.
Now, we need your help to take our art to the next level. Help us get to Boston and compete against other teams from across the country. Help us show why the Utah poetry and art community is so phenomenal. You can help put us on the map!
What We Need & What You Get
In order to make it to nationals, we have to pay for:
- Registration ($500)
- Plane tickets for five people
- Hotel room(s) in the beautiful (but expensive) city of Boston
- Food while we’re there, so we don’t starve (we are willing to eat Ramen Noodles to make this happen)
Besides our undying loyalty and appreciation, we have set up a reward system for your donations that include chapbooks, souvenirs from Boston, and even a private show within 100 miles of Salt Lake.
NOTE: If you would like to request a specific Wordsmith to write a poem for you, or if you have any other specific requests, please leave a note in the comments section. We will do our best to honor all reasonable requests.
The Impact
This is the first time two teams from Utah will be heading to nationals. Members of the Wasatch Wordsmiths have previously represented Utah on semi-finals and finals stages at national events in the past.
While attending the National Poetry Slam, our Wordsmiths will be attending clinics and workshops to improve as writers, performers, and community organizers. Poets who are part of the Wordsmiths have already put in a lot of time helping out the community through teaching, workshopping, community action, and a variety of other ways, and attending the National Poetry Slam will teach us effective strategies and methods for positive growth in SLC and Utah.
Other Ways You Can Help
Attend our local poetry slams in Salt Lake City, Riverton, and Ogden, as well as the U of U and Westminster. Keep your eyes out for the various artistic events coming up, such as the Urban Arts Festival and the Utah Arts Festival. This site will be you source for updates on upcoming performances and events. Many of us have chapbooks for sale individually, as well as an upcoming team chapbook set for release soon!
Share our link on your Facebook, Twitter us, Tumblr us. You can link us from this page or share this link on any social media sites:
http://tinyurl.com/wasatchword