The Albuquerque Comic Convention – a three-day pop culture event – hopes to raise $15,000 for the Special Operations Wounded Warriors, according to Jim Burleson, the convention founder.
“I think that, in the end, this is why we do it. It really helps us to help other people,” Burleson said. “As a nonprofit, that’s what we are really striving to do: To grow our reach to be able to help people.”
Some 17 celebrity guests and 27 comic book artists, writers and creators will attend the weekend-long nerdfest, according to the Albuquerque Comic-Con website. Burleson said he started the event because he has always been interested in comics and film, and wanted to promote a family-friendly event.
“It gives (people) access that they wouldn’t be able to have otherwise,” he said. “They get to meet movie stars, to meet the creators of their favorite super hero; they get to see how comic books are done. It’s all about access and really getting into that world.”
This will be the first year the convention partners with Special Operations Wounded Warriors. Joel Pellicci Jr., vice president and co-founder of SOWW, said the specific mission of the charity is to recognize special operations warriors. Most of the participants in the charity have received the Purple Heart.
The charity, founded in 2012, provides outdoor activities for active-duty soldiers and veterans including hunting, golfing, fishing and family weekends, he said.
“These aren’t the guys that are coming home to flag-waving parades and stuff like that,” Pellicci Jr. said. “They very seldom receive an appreciation from the public because the public doesn’t even know what these guys are doing the majority of the time.”
All money raised will go directly to the charity for its operations and events, he said.
“This gives us the opportunity to educate more people about our charity,” Pellicci Jr. said. “We are still relatively young in the eyes of the charities, and it gives us an opportunity to teach people more about our brand and what we are about and what we are trying to accomplish and why we do what we do.”
Cody Smith Candelaria, director of operations for the Albuquerque Comic-Con, said she has been working with the convention since its first show five years ago.
Supporting a charity helps attract many celebrities, and partnering with SOWW helps in a broad sense and on a bigger scale because the charity operates beyond the local level, she said.
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“I think what the charity does is it reminds people that we live in this community. We live here, we are part of this community, we are doing this for the community and it helps keep that all-tight niche,” Candelaria said.
Lauren Marvin is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @LaurenMarvin.
The Albuquerque Comic Convention
When: Jan. 9- 11
Where: Albuquerque Convention Center
Ticket prices:
Friday $10
Saturday $20
Sunday $15
For more information visit albuquerquecomiccon.com.
