Furry Weekend Atlanta
From WikiFur, the furry encyclopedia.
Furry Weekend Atlanta, often abbreviated simply as FWA, is a regional furry convention held in Atlanta, Georgia. FWA's mascots are a fennec fox and a rabbit, although in 2008 the convention appeared to use a red fox instead of a fennec in its official artwork. The convention started in 2004, and most recently occurred on the weekend of February 15 to 17 in 2008. Although the convention originally was held around Valentine's Day, often with a similar theme (represented in the conbook and on the con shirt), the con was rescheduled for the weekend of March 19-22 in 2009.[1] It is the 4th largest furry convention.
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[edit] History
Furry Weekend Atlanta was the logical outgrowth of furry gathering held for years in Atlanta at the homes of various furs. Over the years, as more and more furs showed up in the metro Atlanta area, the gatherings became larger and larger. The idea of holding a furry convention was raised by several members of the Atlanta furry family, first in 2001 when nothing became of it, and then again in 2003. As the result of several planning sessions held in August of 2003, a concrete plan emerged to hold a convention in February of 2004. The name chosen echoes that of Anime Weekend Atlanta.
[edit] Furry Weekend Atlanta 2004
About 270 people attended the first Furry Weekend Atlanta at the Holiday Inn Airport North from February 13 to 15 in 2004. The guest of honor was LatinVixen.
[edit] Furry Weekend Atlanta 2005
Around 500 people from 32 states and three foreign countries attended the convention from February 11 to 13 in 2005. The guests of honor included Jessie T. Wolf and Fel.
[edit] Furry Weekend Atlanta 2006
557 people from 36 states and four foreign countries attended the convention from February 17 to 19 in 2006. The guests of honor included Bill Holbrook and Matt Burt.
[edit] Furry Weekend Atlanta 2007
Furry Weekend Atlanta 2007 selected the Sheraton Gateway Hotel as its new venue. The Holiday Inn Airport North had become too small for the size of the convention, and the new facility offered roughly double the space available to the rapidly growing convention. However, the Sheraton itself was sold out before the 2007 convention.[2] The final attendance count was 762, a 37% increase over the previous year. The guests of honor included Strider Orion and Daria McGrain.
[edit] Furry Weekend Atlanta 2008
FWA returned to the Sheraton Gateway Hotel on February 15-17, 2008, with Bonk and Tilt Longtail as the Guests of Honor, and 1,046 furs attending.
[edit] Furry Weekend Atlanta 2009
FWA 2009 brought two big changes to the convention: a move in location to the Hilton Atlanta Hotel and a change in dates from mid-February to March 19-22.[3]
[edit] Organization
Furry Weekend Atlanta is produced by Furry Weekend Atlanta, Inc., a non-profit corporation organized pursuant to the Georgia Non-Profit Corporation Code. Furry Weekend Atlanta Inc., in turn, is headed by an Executive Committee and tasked with operating the yearly convention, and promoting the acceptance and appreciation of the anthropomorphic fandom in the Southeast and throughout the country as a whole. As a non-profit corporation, only funds necessary for the continuing operation of the convention are retained; the remaining funds are donated to appropriate charities.
In addition to operating the convention, Tiger Paw also moderates FLORA, and works to organize the Georgia furry population for entertainment and service.
In accordance with Furry Weekend Atlanta's bylaws, all convention staff meetings are open unless issues being discussed are especially divisive or the good name of a member is being discussed.
[edit] Executive Committee
The current Executive Committee of Furry Weekend Atlanta, Inc. consists of:
- Tiger Paw, Chairman/CEO, a businessman from Atlanta.
- Kiran Lightpaw, Director of Operations, a businessman and software engineer from Huntsville, Alabama.
- Santa Fox, Director of Fursuit Events, an IT manager from Atlanta.
- Ulf Formynder, Set/Strike Coordinator, a broadcasting student from Atlanta.
- Tiger Nick, a Graphic Designer from Atlanta.
- Hux, Director of Programming, a businessman and software engineer from Atlanta.
[edit] Staff
At the end of every convention, Furry Weekend Atlanta opens its staffing ranks for the next convention season in a meeting held usually following closing ceremonies. Prospective applicants will be able to find out a little about the "behind the scenes" work of the convention, and will be informed how to fill out the application online.
[edit] Charities
From 2005 to 2006, Furry Weekend Atlanta's official charity was the Ellijay Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary, located a short distance from Atlanta in Ellijay, Georgia. The sanctuary is a state and federally licensed facility operated by Craig and Debbie Cylke, both of whom are certified in wildlife rehabilitation. To date, the sanctuary’s dedicated staff has educated over 100,000 children and adults through on-site course offerings, summer camps, and mobile education programs. Furry Weekend Atlanta attendees donated almost $4,000 to the Sanctuary in 2006, and almost $3,000 the year before.
The official charity for 2007 and 2008 is Conservator's Center, Inc., a nonprofit organization working for the preservation of target threatened species through scientifically responsible captive breeding, organizing and participating in a coalition of organizations to manage and mediate animal emergency and crisis resolution situations nationally while serving as a resource for the educational and scientific communities.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ↑ Furry Weekend Atlanta 2009: The Official Announcement by Kiran Lightpaw.
- ↑ SHERATON SOLD OUT! by Kiran Lightpaw.
- ↑ FAQ: Our Move on FWA's official website.
[edit] External links
- Furry Weekend Atlanta – Official website.
- Furry Weekend Atlanta Message Board – FWA's Message Board.
- Furry Weekend Atlanta Community – FWA's LiveJournal Community, open for general posting.
- Photos, videos, reports: Furry Weekend Atlanta resources
