 Dear Friends,
Thanks to the work that we all did together, last year the Harry Potter Alliance won the Chase Bank Community Giving Award for $250,000. And we won this contest "With Esther." In case you've never heard of her: Esther Earl was a loving, hilarious, and genius Nerdfighter and HPA member who died from thyroid cancer on August 25, 2010. Today would have been her seventeenth birthday. During the Chase Bank Contest, John Green put out a video called "With Esther," where he discussed their friendship and her passion that the HPA win the contest. This video, more than any thing else got us to win. In the video, John says that we won't win this "for Esther" but "with Esther." After we won, the Internet was abuzz with tweets that read, "we won it WITH ESTHER!" Often confined to her bed, Esther yearned for a chance to make a difference - and she did in ways beyond description. Through her quirky and introspective YouTube videos to being a proud Hufflepuff (though JK Rowling personally sorted her in Gryffindor, leaving both me and Esther very confused as to which House to place her in!), Esther formed deep friendships. Esther and I became instant friends in the final two months of her life. Those of us who knew and loved her were amazed by the way Esther made a conscious choice to love and live more fully and deeply despite (perhaps sometimes because of) her illness. Last year, John Green declared her birthday, Esther Day. He asked her what she wanted for Esther Day and Esther simply replied that she wanted people to take time to tell their friends and family that they love them. We will continue to discuss Esther and the foundation in her name, "This Star Won't Go Out." But for today (and through the month) please find ways to tell your friends and family that you love them. This Star Won't Go Out. The Weapon We Have Is Love. Don't Forget To Be Awesome. And Happy Esther Day! Andrew Slack
Harry Potter Alliance, Creator, Co-founder, Executive Director  Andrew with Esther on Esther Day 2010
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