By: Michelle Carlbert
This past Saturday (November 12, 2011), a special thing happened in sunny (actually make that rainy) southern California. A bunch of Castle fans got together for the Castle Fan Charity Convention 2011. The convention was put on by CastleTV.net along with the help of the California Browncoats.
All of the proceeds from the convention went to the charities chosen by the guests – including Seamus Dever, Jon Huertas (who play Ryan and Esposito on the show), as well as creator/writer Andrew Marlowe and writer Terri Miller. Not scheduled to appear that day was Tamala Jones (who plays Lanie on the series), but that didn’t stop her from dropping by and joining in on the fun.
I got the chance to chat with each of the guests backstage, where we discussed each of the charities they were there to support. We also talked about their characters, what we might expect from upcoming episodes, and what goes into shooting an episode of CASTLE.
Here is a little more info about each of the charities supported by the 2011 CASTLE Convention:
Best Friends Animal Society
(on behalf of Seamus Dever)
Best Friends Animal Society is guided by a simple philosophy: kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us. Best Friends Animal Society is working with shelters, rescue groups and members nationwide to bring about a time when there will be no more homeless pets. Best Friends operates the nation’s largest sanctuary for homeless animals; provides adoption, spay/neuter, and educational programs; manages the Best Friends Network, an interactive, online global community; and publishes Best Friends, the nation’s largest general-interest animal magazine. More Information can be found at: bestfriends.org
The Young Storytellers Foundation
(on behalf of Andrew Marlowe & Terri Miller)
The Young Storytellers Foundation develops literacy through the art of storytelling. Using group exercises and one-on-one mentoring, they provide under-served children in the public school system an opportunity to write stories and see them brought to life through performance. Their mission is to inspire children to discover the power of their own voice. More Information can be found at: youngstorytellers.com
Puppies Behind Bars
(on behalf of Jon Huertas)
Puppies Behind Bars trains inmates to raise puppies to become service dogs for disabled children and adults and explosive detection canines for law enforcement. Puppies Behind Bars also launched Dog Tags: Service Dogs for Those Who’ve Served Us, through which they donate fully trained service dogs to wounded soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. More Information can be found at: puppiesbehindbars.com
New episodes of CASTLE airs Mondays at 10PM on ABC (CTV in Canada) and stars Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Susan Sullivan, Molly C. Quinn, Jon Huertas, Tamala Jones, Seamus Dever and Penny Johnson. Catch up with past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv.
Michelle Carlbert (aka Mokibobolink) is a freelance writer who is a self-proclaimed geek and fangirl. She loves writing about entertainment and talking with other fans about her favorite TV shows. She is also a contributing writer and reviewer for Daemon’s TV. You can find Michelle on Twitter (@Mokibobolink) and on Facebook