Donations | Dave Courvoisier's Blog

Out With Alz

September 4, 2012 By CourVO Leave a Comment

Today, Voice Actor Diane Merritt gets my donation of $100 to fight Alzheimer’s.

She does her annual fund-raiser for the Alzheimer’s Association because her mother succumbed to this insidious malady, and I give because my father had the same fate.

Diane is one of the nice people in this business. I keep running into her at FaffCon and the Christmas NYC Mixer, and VOICE events. That alone might persuade me to help out her cause. I like supporting the sincere causes of my friends… but this one’s personal.

Do you know Diane? If you do, would you consider giving a few dollars? (even if you don’t)

Below is her appeal, and links to the proper donation sites. Think about giving a little…tax deductible, and you never know… a lot of people are touched by this disease…maybe someone close to you.

CourVO

http://act.alz.org/site/TR?px=6861495&pg=personal&fr_id=1397&et=JC_GPpmhnMFHpHIAuWLvpg&s_tafId=7933

Diane says:
Some of you might remember last year I joined in on the “Walk to End Alzheimer’s” here in Greenville, SC. I did so in memory of my Mom who died from Alzheimer’s on December 9, 2009. While raising funds for the walk, I learned that a lot of my friends have unfortunately been touched by this terrible disease as well. Either they have a family member or friend currently dealing with the disease or they have lost someone to it. So I walked in memory of them too.

I miss my Mom so much. It hurts that I can’t call and share good news with her, or use her shoulder when things aren’t so great. It’s hard to hold back my tears knowing that she won’t be here to see her Grandkids Graduate High School, be there to watch them walk down the isle one day or even see a Great Grand Child. It’s not good to “hate” anything, but I’m not going to lie – I HATE Alzheimers. And I’m bound and determined to do anything I can to find a cure.

So coming up October 20, 2012 – I will walk again. And as the same as last year, I will be taking 10% of my earnings in September and donating it to Walk to End Alzheimer’s. So send me voice work! The more I work – The more I can donate. Now – if you do want to make a donation it would certainly be appreciated and you can do so by clicking this link http://act.alz.org/site/TR/Walk/SC-SouthCarolina?px=6861495&pg=personal&fr_id=1397 But again – don’t feel obligated. Knowing you are cheering me on – October 20th – will put an extra bounce in my step!

There are going to be walks held all over the US and if you are interested in walking for this cause – here is a link to find a walk near you http://www.alz.org/walk/

If you’ve lost a friend or family member to Alzheimer’s – I am so sorry. If you have a friend or a family member in your life who is currently suffering with this disease – be as patient as you can with them. I know what you are going through. It’s hard, I know. But one day I hope they can find a cure for this. It truly sucks.

Thanks for your time!

Diane Merritt
Voice Over Artist
(843) 446-5563

Filed Under: Donations Tagged With: Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Association, Diane Merritt, Donations, VO, voice, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, voice over, voice talent, voiceover, Voiceovers, voices

Give a Little?

July 25, 2012 By CourVO 8 Comments

I’m late to this party. Embarrassingly late…but not so late that I can’t help (I did), and not too late that you can’t help (you can).

It started with Anne Ganguzza, a SoCal-based Voice actor. I keep running into Anne at various VO meetups, and besides being a delightful friend, she’s big into contributing to the community.

When she stopped by in Las Vegas the other day with her husband for dinner (well, they had OTHER reasons for being there than dinner with me), we talked extensively about the memorial fund she’s building for her friend Sandra Swingler. They had a common bond of cancer, but Sandra didn’t make it.

Sandra is the wife of voice actor Andrew Swingler, and together they have two young daughters. I’ve met Andrew online and in person, and he’s one of the most helpful and friendly guys you’d ever want on your side. Now he’s going it alone with his two girls, and Anne is aiming to help. You can too. I’ll be honest. I contributed $200 to the Sandra Swingler fund, and I’d like you to search your heart to give something too.

Anne Ganguzza

‘Cause when it’s all said ‘n’ done. It’s not how many commercials we voiced along the way, but how we treated our friends in each living moment. Andrew and Sandra and their two daughters could use our help.

Whadya say?

Click on Anne’s Blog to find out all the details about their family, and instructions for giving. Anne has made it incredibly easy, and the giving is tax-deductible (as if you need more incentive).

CourVO

Filed Under: Donations Tagged With: Andrew Swingler, Anne Ganguzza, Sandra Swingler, VO, voice, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, voice over, voice talent, voiceover, Voiceovers, voices

VO Scholarship

March 20, 2012 By CourVO Leave a Comment

MCA-I is an organization familiar to many a voice actor. It stands for Media Communications Association – International, and likely there’s a branch near you.

VO Peeps may also be a blog you’d also recognize. It’s authored by SoCal’s Anne Ganguzza.

Well, MCA-I and VO Peeps…along with VOICE2012 (stay with me here) are collaborating to offer the first annual Career Education Scholarship Fund.

According to Anne’s blog: “The Program provides both need and merit-based scholarships to working voice-over artists, as well as those new to the business. Scholarship Awards may be given on a cash basis, or in the form of product and/or educational services useful to a VO Professional. The First Annual Scholarship will be awarded on May 15 to one deserving Voiceover professional and will consist of: One Full VIP registration for VOICE 2012! June 13-16, 2012.”

This event is seeking both applicants and donors. I don’t see a downside, actually…somebody who really needs it gets a pass to VOICE2012, and you have the reassurance of knowing you helped a fellow professional.

Be sure and follow all the links in this article to get the facts. Our thanks as well to James Alburger and Penny Abshire, too, for their donation of a pass to the VOICE2012 event to make all this possible.

Read Anne’s most recent blog about the scholarship for further info and links.

‘Love it when things come together like this!

CourVO

Filed Under: Collaboration, Donations, Professional Organizations, VOICE 2012 Tagged With: Anne Ganguzza, Career Education Scholarship Fund, James Alburgrer, MCA-I, Penny Abshire, VO, VO Peeps, voice, VOICE 2012, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, voice over, voice talent, voiceover, voices

Best Donation You’ll Ever Make

December 13, 2011 By CourVO Leave a Comment

PRIME TIME VOICES FOR CHILDREN is a Holiday fundraising event to benefit Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA.

Spearheaded and promoted tirelessly by Joe Cipriano, 31 of the country’s top VO Pros joined forces to raise money for this noble cause by collaborating on a reading of “Twas the Night Before Christmas”. The recording is to be released very soon.

In the meantime, go ahead and visit the FUNDLY page for Prime Time Voices for Children, and prayerfully consider a generous donation. Let’s face it most of us in America — when compared to 75% of the rest of the world — are rich.

Here are the voices that contributed: Joan Baker, Bob Bergen, Kay Bess, Corey Burton, Joe Cipriano, Howard Cogan, Townsend Coleman, Josh Daugherty, George DelHoyo, Kara Edwards, Dave Fennoy, Pat Fraley, Stew Hererra, Ben Patrick Johnson, Brian Lee, Bill Lloyd, Anthony Mendez, Paul Pape, Jim Pratt, Bill Ratner, Rino Romano, Scott Rummell, Ashton Smith, Jim Tasker, John Taylor, Randy Thomas, Keri Tombazian, Sylvia Villagran, Rick Wasserman, Beau Weaver, Zurek.

Now, will YOU contribute?

Why should I care? Because when my oldest daughter was 3-months old, she had a life-saving surgery at that unit. Now she’s living her dream as a dancer in NYC. Miracles come from donations.

CourVO

Filed Under: Donations Tagged With: Joe Cipriano, Mattell Childlren's Hospital UCLA, Prime Time Voices For Children, VO, voice, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, voice over, voice talent, voiceover, voices

VO Pro Bono

November 17, 2011 By CourVO Leave a Comment

By the time you see this, Nevada’s first, one-day THE BIG GIVE will already be underway. Visit the site, pic a worthy charity, and give whatever you can give in the spirit of the season. Please, do!

Thank goodness there still IS a spirit of the season. Sometimes the expectations of giving during November/December seem almost mercenary…but to coin a cliché: “…the need has never been greater…”

I’ve already committed hundreds of dollars to United Way in the form of an automatic payroll deduction for 2012…I voice monthly articles from the Readers Digest for blind listeners in Los Angeles, and donatae my time for many volunteer organizations, mostly for disadvantaged children.

I don’t say that to brag…I say that as a proud active member of a great nation with a strong civic community. That’s what makes the US great, not our military or our bounty. I guess I’m just a goody two-shoes.

If you’re unfamiliar with the great sense of fulfillment that comes with volunteering or donating, please check out Terry Daniel’s challenge for voice actors this season. You can even contribute as a voice-actor to some people who can really use the help.

James Alburger recently put out a notice seeking help: “…We’re in search of some very special voice talent who would be interested in participating as narrator’s for a series of online training and educational programs for people with developmental disabilities and those who work with them…”

This is gratis. No pay. But your heart will fill up. Click this link to find out more.

CourVO

Filed Under: Donations, VO Community Tagged With: donating, giving, James Alburger, Nevada's Big Give, Terry Daniel, The Big Give, VO, voice, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, voice over, voice talent, voiceover, voices

Terry’s Ten-Week Challenge

October 20, 2011 By CourVO Leave a Comment

Give.

Give till it hurts.

When times are tough. Give.

When resources are short. Give.

You’d be surprised how much it gives you back.

My voice-over friend Terry Daniel is launching a simple idea from a new FaceBook page: Sometime in the next ten weeks, approach your favorite charity in your area with the offer of your voice. Do it for free, just ’cause the doing of it is its own reward.

I’m on the schedule to read for AIRS/LA. I narrate monthly articles from the Reader’s Digest. In recent months, I’ve voice and appeared on camera for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys Town USA, and Family Services. I work harder on those projects than almost any other. I believe those who have are responsible to give to those who don’t.

Won’t you consider Terry’s challenge?

THE 10-WEEK HOLIDAY CHALLENGE FaceBook Page (please “like”)

Also, watch Terry’s YouTube video explaining the challenge:

Nice going, Terry!

CourVO

Filed Under: Donations Tagged With: 10-week challenge, Terry Daniel, UniversalVoiceTalent.com, VO, voice, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, voice over, voice talent, voiceover

Pro Bono

July 12, 2011 By CourVO 2 Comments

….and no that doesn’t mean I’m a big fan of that Irish Rock Star….

This is about volunteering your voice acting services just because it’s the right thing to do…and doing it, is its own reward.

See the appeal Voice Talent/Coach Marc Cashman makes below for volunteers to read for AIRS/LA. I’ve been contributing narrations of Reader’s Digest articles to AIRS/LA for a couple of years, and it’s very fulfulling.

Hi!

I wanted to acquaint you with a great non-profit organization in Los Angeles, Airs/L.A.

www.airsla.org is the website of a California non-profit corporation organized in 2006.

Their purpose is to provide information and entertainment for the blind, low-vision, and dyslexic.

All of their work is provided by volunteers–they have no paid employees.

Some of their voiceover talent is professional, but there are a lot of enthusiastic and talented beginners who are narrating material in three countries and twelve states.

Their podcasts cover a wide range of subject matter:

health and medical information, seminars, periodicals, interviews, and more.

They have a number of new programs which they’d like to offer their listeners.

Most of these are periodicals of varying publication frequency.

AIRS/L.A. needs qualified people to narrate and produce these programs.

Voice talent must have access to recording facilities (preferably a home studio)

to produce a quality podcast.

Talent has to be available to meet the project schedule (i.e., biweekly, quarterly. etc.).

And if a periodical is needed, they must acquire the material to read.

They prefer their podcasts to be 30-minutes or less and provide scripts for the intro and closing.

With periodicals, the producer/reader selects the material, transmits the edited program to AIRS/L.A.’s engineers, and provides a brief summary for the website.

AIRS/L.A. has a studio that may available for people living in San Fernando Valley, CA or nearby.

But if you have a decent-sounding home studio setup and would like to contribute to a very worthwhile cause, this is a great opportunity to donate your talent for those less fortunate,

no matter where you live.

If you’d like to participate, or know of any associates, students, or other professionals who might, please contact Max Flehinger at max.flehinger@gmail,com or call him at 818-356-8371.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Marc Cashman

661-222-9300

cashcomm@earthlink.net

www.cashmancommercials.com

Filed Under: Donations Tagged With: AIRS/LA, giving, Marc Cashman, pro bono, VO, voice acting, voice actor, voice artist, voice over, voice talent, voiceover, volunteering

AID for VO Bicyclist

March 18, 2011 By CourVO Leave a Comment

VO talent and coach Julie Williams is a brave woman. This June, she’ll take on a grueling personal fund-raising bike trek across America to raise money for AIDS orphans in Africa.

We know that Julie has a big heart…now we see she also has a big mission she’s absolutely commited to.

Julie could use your help in the form of a pledge. (so far, the fund-raising is going slow, she says)

See below for her email to me with links and explainers… and please consider giving whatever you can.

Go get ‘em Julie!

CourVO

________________________

What I’m doing:

Voice-Over talent and coach, Julie Williams is taking on the brutal challenge of riding her bicycle from California to Florida next June… braving the Arizona sun and Texas heat to raise money for children who have to fight every day just to survive. All sponsorship monies help AIDS Orphans in Africa.

Where

Julie and her team will embark on their nine-day journey from Orange County, California, with their rear tires in the Pacific. They’ll trek to Phoenix the first day, then on to Albuquerque on day two. From there the team will ride to Lubbock, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans, Tallahassee, and Datona Beach to put our front wheels in the Atlantic.

How can they cover so many miles in so little time?

“We’re ‘leap-frogging it’” says Williams. “That means I’ll only be riding about 100 miles a day—and driving 400 miles a day—as someone from our team rides every single mile.”

Why?

Is she crazy? But Julie points out, she’s doing it for a cause. As the sun sets each day in sub- Saharan Africa, HIV and AIDS have claimed 3800 lives and another 5200 men, women, and children are infected. Little children wander with no parents, and no one to care for them. Many are HIV positive, themselves. Christ’s Hope International helps with food, medicines, and hope.

“Last year, because of the recession, Ride For Hope funds were what kept this ministry afloat!”

She adds, “I love cycling, I love giving, and I love a challenge. I’m very excited about this ride because it’ll offer all three. Granted, I do realize that there’ll be many times along this ride when I’ll say, ‘Never Again!’ That’s when I’ll persevere for the children, reminding myself of

Phil 3:13-14, which says: Forgetting what’s behind and looking toward what’s ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize, for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Her Goal, and How you can help

Her goal is to raise $5,000.

Fundraising Link: http://rideforhopectc.org/users/user_page.php?user_id=101

Be sure to specify that you’re donating for a specific rider… Julie Williams (page 2 of list, it’s alphabetical)

Other ways you can help… perhaps give a certain percentage of each VO for a month to the cause? Or spread the word and pass the link on to friends.

Who is Julie Williams

Julie Williams is a national voice-over talent and coach, Voicey Award winner, and Audie Award Finalist, who’s worked for the likes of Orbitz.com, Coca-Cola, Pampers, Adobe, The U.S. Army and thousands of others. She’s voiced commercials, audiobooks, narrations, and other genres. Her specialty is voicing and teaching narration and medical narration. In addition, Julie works as a news anchor at K-Love Radio Network which has more than 5-million listeners, and is ready to launch in NYC. She can be heard at www.VoiceOverChocolate.com, and reached at julie@voice-overs.com.