Help Make The RPG Research Trailer a Reality?

The vision is to increase the geographic capability to provide RPG sessions in standard formats, but providing their intrinsic benefits, for many populations around North America. This will also later help improve the reach of planned research efforts, and then after that provide actual therapeutic programs using RPG in all forms to help with development and healing of participants, from a Recreation Therapy approach.

The research studies are on the therapeutic & educational effects of role-playing gaming (tabletop, live-action, & computer-based).

The photos at the end of this page are a mock-up of the proposed design that would be custom built by a company specializing in ADA-compliant trailers. The cost for custom-built trailer is about 50% less than any pre-built trailer I can find that meets all the requirements. The entire purpose of this trailer will be to provide role-playing gaming services (tabletop, live-action, and computer-based) to as broad a populace as I possibly can.

I am hoping folks see the benefit of helping to make this portable RPG research facility a reality. I know this is a reach, but thought it important enough to at least see if it can be made a reality. If not something you feel you could help with, please consider letting others know. Thank you for your time and consideration! - http://www.gofundme.com/rpgtrailer

http://www.gofundme.com/rpgtrailer

The funding goal is for the down-payment and transportation costs of a portable office (trailer) that is wheelchair-accessible for research participants and future clients. This will make it possible to broaden the research for helping people to include all of North America, rather than being limited to a local office or a specific geographic area. I already have a truck capable of towing the trailer.
I am currently working to use role-playing games (RPG) in all forms to help others. My dream is to be able to travel across the country to provide these services to the widest audience possible, and train others to do so as well.

One advantage is that it would help me be able to travel the continent to get much broader geographic sample sets for the questionnaires, and in general just interact with a wider range of role-playing gamers and observe regional differences over time.

An average small office for meeting groups regularly (not downtown) in Spokane is at least 300+ per month, the monthly payments on the trailer are less than that. In Seattle a similar office is around $1,000 per month. I can easily afford the monthly payments (especially since I wouldn't have the office payments anymore because I could use the trailer instead). The problem is the down payment is just enough out of reach. Hotels range between $50 to $200 per night when on the road. The trailer has a rear ramp that is easy for wheelchairs, a pull-down overhead bed when I'm on the road to save on hotel costs, a kitchenette, refrigerator (gamers must have snacks of course), fully ADA compliant wheelchair accessible bathroom with shower, sink, and toilet.

There are individuals, groups, and facilities around the country interested my running RPG sessions for them if I could make it out there and provide the space. Many of the smaller ones do not have facilities for more than an hour at a time, and sessions for RPG are typically at least 2-3 hours. This provides a means to show up in their parking lot and provide RPG sessions for them.

Initially I would just provide non-research-based, and non-therapy-modified RPG, just regular RPG sessions for the benefits that participating in RPGs provide. Over time, as I complete my bachelors degree and certification (CTRS), (next year),  and then begin the graduate program. I then plan to begin transitioning more regularly to more formal research projects currently on hold, and eventually implement targeted therapy programs using RPG. Having the trailer would make all this possible to a much broader geographic region, at a much more stabilized cost than other options. While the total cost of the trailer is initially high, it is a stable cost, making budgeting much easier.

I founded the RPG Research Project in 2004 and am  studying the effects, and potential therapeutic uses, of  all forms of role-playing games, including tabletop, live-action (LARP), & computer-based (solo, online, MMORPG, etc.).

You can see photos of a mock-up of the proposed trailer design (rough approximation), and explanations about the features for wheelchair access and other requirements here:
http://rpgr.org/blog/the-rpg-trailer

Through research spanning more than a decade, it has become clear that role-playing games can be a very powerful tool to help with healing and development for many individuals and groups from a wide variety of populations. You can see the details at the RPG Research Project website: http://www.rpgresearch.com 

You can also view my presentation at Seattle Children's hospital this Spring (1 hour long) if you want a comprehensive explanation about how role-playing games can help others develop and heal: http://rpgr.org/blog/enhanced-video-rpg-as-therapy-presentation

I have already been working (without charge, as a student, and on my own) using RPG to help a variety of people, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) toddlers, youth, & adults, at-risk youth, people with various disabilities such as ADD/ADHD, Cerebral Palsy (CP), and others. 

I have program plans designed but not yet implemented for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients, and am also working on developing program plans for people diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

I recently registered (September 2014) in Washington State as a Recreation Therapist (though not yet a CTRS), have acquired my Mental Health First Aid certification, and have created RPG Therapeutics as a Washington state LLC though I am planning to continue working without charging until I have at least completed my degree. 

I reside in Spokane, Washington. I am a student nearing completion of an  interdisciplinary undergraduate degree in Recreation Therapy, Music Therapy, Neuroscience, & Research Psychology at Eastern Washington University (EWU). I am a single parent of three teenage boys.

The total cost of the portable office trailer is $40K. I can afford the monthly payments from my own income, but coming up with the 10%+ down payment, plus transportation costs to pick it up, is currently beyond my means. The total for this fund drive also takes into account the 5% the site charges, and the additional fees for each donation, as well as gas to drive down and pick up the trailer, and also visit some of the larger donors (if possible), to thank you in person and let you see the trailer itself (if near enough to the travel route).

Once I have the down payment, it will take them 6 to 12 weeks to build the trailer (in Mesa, Arizona). 

Once I have the trailer, I can begin to contact facilities that would be interested in therapeutic RPG research and services that can be brought to the facilities' parking lot with all the equipment loaded and ready to use. My house is already well stocked with most of the needed supplies.

Asking for all this online might be a stretch, but at this point the best hope for making this dream a reality. Can you help me help others by achieving this goal?

Many thanks to everyone for their support and kindness!

-W.A. "Hawke" Robinson
Mandarin name on Facebook account: Luo Daying
Elvish Name for Tolkien fans: Fion Alcarion


The following donor levels are to provide a rough guideline of ways to thank those that donate if we succeed in funding this effort and making The RPG Research Trailer a reality:

$25+
If fully funded, all donations of $25 USD or more can be listed (with your permission) on the RPG Research website's List of Donors to say thank you for generous help in turning this vision into reality.

$100+
If fully funded, all donations of $100 USD or more can be listed (with your permission) on the RPG Research website's List of Donors, AND your name mentioned in the thank you video on the RPG Research Youtube Channel http://youtube.com/rpgresearch

$250+
If fully funded, all donations of $250 USD or more can be listed (with your permission) on the RPG Research website's List of Donor's, AND your name mentioned in the thank you video on the RPG Research Youtube Channel, AND added to the "Thank You" Donor Placard that will be in clear view on the inside of the trailer.

$500+
If fully funded, all donations of $500 USD or more includes all of the options from the lower donor levels, PLUS your name listed on the outside of the trailer (with your permission) saying Thank you, (with other donor names of this donor size if applicable on a single 24x36  sign or painted on directly) near the RPG Research Logo on one side of the trailer.

$1,000+
If fully funded, all donations of $1,000 USD or more includes all of the options from the previous donor levels, plus your name listed with a "Thank you", on all three sides of the trailer, AND if you are within 500 miles of Spokane, Washington, or anywhere within 500 miles of the route between Spokane and Mesa, Arizona (where the trailer is built), after I pick up the trailer, if scheduling permits, I can swing by on the way back to Spokane to show you the trailer that you helped make a reality, for a visit of up to two hours (if you wish).

$2,000+
If fully funded, all donations of $2,000 USD or more includes all of the options from the lower donor levels, PLUS (if you wish) if able to visit you within that 500 mile radius from the route, can run a tabletop role-playing game session for you and your friends (up to 6 players) for up to 6 hours, as a huge thank you for making this a reality. If you are outside of the 500 mile reach of the route, and if all funding costs are met and you wish to donate additional funds to cover the additional travel costs to your location, I would be happy for the opportunity to come to you, calculating roughly 10 miles per gallon for gasoline (roughly $3.50/gallon currently) for the distance round trip.

Any funds that exceed the minimum $6,500 down payment and minimum travel expenses to pick up the trailer and return, will be used toward paying for any additional transportation costs to visit donors and say thank you in person.

Any additional funds beyond the down payment and travel costs will be applied entirely toward paying down the princple on the loan balance for the rest of the cost of the trailer (up to $40,000 USD).

These photos are a mock-up cobbled together from other similar designs. The actual trailer begin to build until the company received the down payment.