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Full List of Questions
A Sit-A-Thon?
What… umm… what is that exactly?
A Sit-A-Thon is a fundraiser in which
volunteers collect pledges from friends and
family, and then agree to sit for an entire
day. It is taking place on September 9th
from 8am - 6pm at the Carousel Performing Arts
Center at Goddard Memorial State Park in
Warwick.
Just sit? All day? How do they not go
insane?
In past years, some popular distractions
have included: board games (if you have never
played Apples to Apples, you are in for a
treat), reading books, Mad Libs, playing catch,
and the boisterous singing of ridiculous songs
towards the end when we just can’t take it
anymore. For the first time this year, we are
also having entertainment come to distract you
from the tedium.
Entertainment? Ooh, do share!
No. It’s a surprise.
(Not really. As we confirm the performers, we
will add information to the website.)
I don’t want to sit alone. Should I tell my
friends to sit as well?
Absolutely! The official number of friends
recommended by the Obscure Company is 8.
However, you may bring as many or few as you
like, as long as everyone registers and collects
pledges, of course. The registration form is
located
here.
What exactly do we sit on?
That is an excellent question. You are to
be commended.
Thank you.
You’re welcome. Now, to answer that
superlative query: whatever you want.
Obviously, we will have plenty of chairs
available on-site for everyone that is coming to
sit. However, we welcome all participants to
BYOC if they choose.
BYOC?
Bring Your Own Chair. You probably own a
chair that you enjoy sitting in much more than
our generic loaners. And so you are welcome to
bring that if you like.
Well, my favorite chair is my sofa! Ha!
So bring it.
Seriously?
Absolutely. Office chairs, captain’s
chairs, director’s chairs, armchairs, sofas,
bean bags, stools, stationary bicycles… all
sitting apparatus (or apparatuses?) are welcome
at the Sit-A-Thon. So welcome that we will be
giving out a Best Chair prize at the conclusion
of the event.
Don’t people get
cramped and stiff, sitting all day?
That is why we have a massage therapist on
staff.
That’s funny. But…
No, we actually will have a massage
therapist available to all sitters on the day of
the event. For a truly miniscule donation ($5),
you can get a few minutes of blissful relaxation
from her chair massage skills.
That… is kind of amazing.
You’re not kidding.
When you say that we sit “all day”, we get…
y’know… breaks? Right?
Unfortunately, our human need to use
restroom facilities supersedes our overwhelming
desire to sit endlessly for charity. So yes,
there will be scheduled restroom breaks
throughout the day.
What if I can’t wait until a scheduled
break?
We have built an elaborate device for
tar-and-feathering anyone who…
Shut up!
Alright, we suppose it is permissible for
you to take additional breaks if necessary. But
our expectation remains that if you are not in a
bathroom, then you are in a chair.
Fair enough. Let’s talk about
food.
Yes, let’s. I enjoy Cheez-Its and hot
dogs…
Clarification: let’s talk about what I eat
when I’m there.
Oh, yes. First of all, we will have plenty
of bottled water on site, to keep all of our
beloved volunteers hydrated. Also, The Obscure
Company will be arranging for lunch to be
brought to the event site, and will be available
to all participants for a donation of $5.
$5? But I raised $647!
You interrupted me. I was about to say that
for any volunteer with over $200 in pledges, we
will buy your lunch for you. Does that seem
reasonable?
Absolutely. But what if I have special
dietary requirements?
Please contact
Tom
Douglass, and he will work with
you to make sure your needs are taken care of.
So, what do I need to
bring
with me on September 9th?
All you are required to bring is yourself,
your pledge sheets, and a positive attitude.
But feel free to bring any of the following:
your own comfy chair, books, games, snack food
for mid-day munching, music devices with
headphones, your knitting, money (you never know
if a lemonade truck might drive by), jigsaw
puzzles, … you get the idea.
Is there anything I shouldn’t bring?
We would prefer if pets were left at home.
Especially snakes. I am terrified of snakes.
(On a plane.)
I am not going to lie; this sounds like a
ton of fun. What if I want a
souvenir of all the fun
I had at the Sit-A-Thon?
We are fairly confident that you are
planning on finding enough pledges to qualify
for one of our many wonderful
incentives.
But no matter how much money you raise, we will
be taking pictures that will be available from
our website in the days following the event.
You are also free to retain as many beautiful
memories of the Sit-A-Thon as you wish, free of
charge.
Where is Goddard
Park, and how do I get there?
Directions to Goddard Park are located on
the
park website. Once inside the
park, you will follow signs to the Carousel
building. You may also use this
crudely-drawn map to get your
bearings.
And where am I supposed to park?
Look at the
map.
Find the Carousel building. See that black blob
just past it? That is the parking lot. And
before you ask, yes, parking is free.
What time can we arrive
for registration?
Registration begins at 7:00, with a shotgun
sitting start at 8 am sharp.
What about
collecting sponsors? How do I do that?
There are a variety of donation methods
available. All sitters have access to our
downloadable pledge collection sheets at any
time on our “Sitting” page. Simply have your
sponsors fill out the applicable information on
that sheet, and submit it to us when you arrive
at the event. We also have two convenient
online donation tools. The simplest is our
PayPal donation button, by which anyone can make
a direct donation by credit card or bank
transfer. PayPal will even ask the donor which
sitter they are sponsoring. Also, we have an
online pledge form for those who are not
comfortable paying online, and would rather be
billed for their pledge after the event. Both
online tools are readily available at
www.obscurecompany.com/sitathon.htm.
Are donations
tax-deductible?
You haven’t heard? The IRS recently
approved our application to become a
full-fledged charitable organization, so yes,
all donations are 100% tax deductible.
How is the money
being used?
The overwhelming majority of the donated
funds are going to Camp Hope, which is a
wonderful program run by the American Cancer
Society. It is a free summer camp for children
battling cancer, with a completely volunteer
medical and counseling staff. You can learn
more about Camp Hope on other areas of our
website. Some funds will also be retained by
the Obscure Company to fund our own charitable
goals.
I want to sit, but I
have to leave at <insert random time> to go
to <insert random excuse>. Is that OK?
We would love for everyone to stay for the
entire event. However, we understand that the
best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
If you need to miss any part of the Sit-A-Thon,
please notify a staff member before leaving.
This is simply so we can keep track of who is at
the event at any given time.
Is there anything
else I need to know?
Probably. Unfortunately, my agent is doing
that thing with her watch that means this
interview is almost over. But feel free to read
more about the event specifics in the other
sections of the website. If you have additional
questions, just use the "additional information"
box of the
sitter
registration form, and one of our
officers will respond to your questions ASAP. |
