$20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

(Chapter 7 and beyond)

$20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby wdrpgwd » Fri Jul 03, 2015 10:29 pm

Image

Hey everyone, my brother and I decided to contribute $20,000 for the making of Shenmue III. We spent many hours thinking about whether this is a good or bad decision. We spent $10,000 in 2012 to get our school off the ground and that went a long way. Because of our initial $10,000 pledge, the school received an amazing amount of attention in China, social media and gaming websites. I'll reiterate, We are not wealthy! This was a hard decision. We could have given $20,000 directly to building the school and it's programs but we feel that this pledge will lead to more exposure and support than what we could do through other mediums.

For those who don't know our school yet. We are called The "V.E.T. Program" (Volunteer English Teacher). You can find us on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/VolunteerEnglishTeacher?fref=ts&ref=br_tf We teach children and young adults English to help in their educational and career pursuits. Many of these kids come from small villages in the Guilin area and may not have an opportunity to learn elsewhere. You can go to the "about" section on the Facebook page to learn more.

We really need help in reaching our goals. We would love for you to like us on Facebook. We will eventually look outside ourselves and setup a way for donations to be made but we didn't want to distract from the Kick Starter or be overbearing donation hunters.

We decided to make the second $10,000 pledge a character in the game. We don't want to be a character attacking Ryo though. We are going to try and ask Yu Suzuki to let us have one of our Volunteer Chinese teaching assistants be a character in one of the villages. They deserve to be recognized for their hard work. They are volunteers and many of them come from poor rice farms.

We are also hoping that since we will be listed in the credits as a special sponsor that it can have our school with a logo and a website rather than our names.

I don't think any of this would be asking too much. I think it would help get attention to the school. We would love any assistance in helping us achieve this. We also would love to have Yu Suzuki come to the school some day but we won't don't want to be greedy.

Please, help our little school!

Image

User avatar
wdrpgwd
Funny Bear Burger Clerk
Funny Bear Burger Clerk
 
Joined: June 2012
Location: Wash. DC/Yangshuo

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby Three Blades » Fri Jul 03, 2015 10:47 pm

I've been a teacher in Japan for 7 years, and I saw your other post a couple of weeks ago. I would love to visit your school. It would be a great reason to visit Guilin too. I've always been interested in going to China, but I was always too intimidated because I don't know anybody there.
Anyway, I was gonna pm you, but I procrastinated and the half written draft has been sitting there for a while :D
I'll try to get around to it asap.

Three Blades has received 4 thanks from: Aimless Gamer, Axm, johnvivant, wdrpgwd
User avatar
Three Blades
Man Mo Acolyte
Man Mo Acolyte
 
Joined: June 2015
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby shredingskin » Fri Jul 03, 2015 10:53 pm

If it's not a "public chinese school", then they should go for it.
User avatar
shredingskin
Machine Gun Fist
Machine Gun Fist
 
Joined: March 2012
Location: Argentina
Favorite title: Shenmue
Currently playing: Some indie games.

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby johnvivant » Sat Jul 04, 2015 5:11 am

someone from a gaming publication or website should make an article about this. not only would it would be great PR for the campaign, it would raise publicity for both shenmue and the school.

and i really can't see Suzuki refusing your requests in regards to the type of NPC you become or of having your school mentioned in the credits.

i wouldn't be surprised if he actually offered you and your school a much more elaborate cameo! (a little school house in Bailu village or something)

yu suzuki visiting your school is also great. heck, someone could produce a really good documentary about this and film the whole thing.

johnvivant has received 4 thanks from: Aimless Gamer, Axm, Supa, wdrpgwd
User avatar
johnvivant
Alpha Trading Boss
Alpha Trading Boss
 
Joined: November 2008

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby Supa » Sat Jul 04, 2015 7:09 am

That would be really cool, making them a small school house cameo.
User avatar
Supa
"Keep Friends"
"Keep Friends"
 
Joined: April 2004
Favorite title: Shenmue

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby Retroberra » Sat Jul 04, 2015 8:09 am

Wow, this sounds like a great idea! :)
User avatar
Retroberra
Asia Travel Representative
Asia Travel Representative
 
Joined: June 2015
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Currently playing: Neo Darts

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby SheepheadCG » Sat Jul 04, 2015 8:20 am

Nice! Amazing story and it would be so great to see your school in Shenmue 3!
User avatar
SheepheadCG
Man Mo Acolyte
Man Mo Acolyte
 
Joined: March 2012
Steam: sheephead100
Favorite title: Shenmue
Currently playing: Starcraft 2

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby Axm » Sat Jul 04, 2015 9:00 am

I'm also a teacher in Japan and would love to visit Guilin, China one day especially to see this school now! Really great work.

Axm has received a thanks from: wdrpgwd
User avatar
Axm
#SaveShenmueHD
News Poster
 
Joined: May 2003
Location: Fukuoka, Japan

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby Miles Prower » Sat Jul 04, 2015 9:05 am

Sounds like truly fantastic work you do :D Just liked the page on Facebook :)

Miles Prower has received a thanks from: wdrpgwd
User avatar
Miles Prower
"Keep Friends"
"Keep Friends"
 
Joined: May 2003
Location: UK
XBL: sppeac1987
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby RiGoRmOrTiS » Sat Jul 04, 2015 9:10 am

amazing work you do, I don't see why Yu Suzuki would disagree, it would be good publicity for the game too if they do a little press release about the collaboration as well.

RiGoRmOrTiS has received a thanks from: wdrpgwd
User avatar
RiGoRmOrTiS
Alpha Trading Boss
Alpha Trading Boss
 
Joined: September 2003
Location: Newcastle, England
Favorite title: What's Shenmue

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby wdrpgwd » Sat Jul 04, 2015 12:52 pm

Thanks everyone. It would be great to see a small school in one of the villages but I'm not having any expectations for what Yu would do. I don't want to make an assumption that we deserve special treatment simply because we gave money.. I'll ask him for these favors and if he says no that will be the end of it.

All we really want is to see the school grow and be able to turn it into something great. We are a non profit and we have a lot of needs at the moment. We get some help from the local college with books and rooms to teach but we would love to build a new headquarters where we have our own classrooms. With the recent attention we are getting in China it will help a lot. We want to recreate locations in Shenmue. My brother joked that he would call the living quarters the Come Over Guest House and have a front desk with a small fan and radio where he can tell people that they need to pay before they leave.

Three Blades wrote: I've been a teacher in Japan for 7 years, and I saw your other post a couple of weeks ago. I would love to visit your school. It would be a great reason to visit Guilin too. I've always been interested in going to China, but I was always too intimidated because I don't know anybody there.
Anyway, I was gonna pm you, but I procrastinated and the half written draft has been sitting there for a while :D
I'll try to get around to it asap.


Please, let me know TB (and AXM).

We would love to have experienced teachers. Even if you don't know the language we still need assistants. And if you don't want to do that, you are still invited to come by. I'd love to meet fellow Shenmue Fans. We also would love to show you around.

Thanks for the like Miles P. Which one were you? I'll add you as a friend though, I don't use Facebook as much as my brother.

wdrpgwd has received 3 thanks from: Aimless Gamer, Axm, Miles Prower
User avatar
wdrpgwd
Funny Bear Burger Clerk
Funny Bear Burger Clerk
 
Joined: June 2012
Location: Wash. DC/Yangshuo

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby Jackie Fhan » Sat Jul 04, 2015 1:00 pm

I'm also in china currently. Hope everything works out for you
Jackie Fhan
Man Mo Acolyte
Man Mo Acolyte
 
Joined: June 2015
Favorite title: Shenmue
Currently playing: Jak , Sly Cooper, Many..

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby ShenmueTree » Sat Jul 04, 2015 1:04 pm

You're doing a lot of good, thanks!

I wish I could help the school, in fact it sounds like a good idea for both the school and myself if I could volunteer there as I have absolutely nothing going on at all now and I actually have been looking for a reasons... well, don't want to get to dramatic or depressed up in here. Anyway, I don't know any Chinese nor do I have any income at all so unfortunately, I can't help, as much as I wish I could.

again thanks! You're awesome. Hope good things come to you and the school.
ShenmueTree
"After Burner...Great!"
"After Burner...Great!"
 
Joined: April 2012

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby Miles Prower » Sat Jul 04, 2015 3:03 pm

wdrpgwd wrote:Thanks for the like Miles P. Which one were you? I'll add you as a friend though, I don't use Facebook as much as my brother.

I'm Stuart Peacock :)
User avatar
Miles Prower
"Keep Friends"
"Keep Friends"
 
Joined: May 2003
Location: UK
XBL: sppeac1987
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Re: $20,000 pledge for the future of our Guilin school.

Postby KiBa » Sat Jul 04, 2015 3:48 pm

This is absolutely remarkable. Should be front-page news, really. What a generous gift from such an unlikely and worthy source. It goes to show how significant the Shenmue phenomenon has been in mostly unappreciated ways. I think it can indeed inspire more returns to your school than you donated. I am a new teacher this year, but would love to help out any way I can one day.

KiBa has received 3 thanks from: Aimless Gamer, Axm, FlagshipFighter
User avatar
KiBa
selfaware
"Keep Friends"
 
Joined: January 2006

Next

Return to Shenmue III

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

Powered by phpBB © 2000-
ShenmueDojo.net