Today Patrick Rothfuss is using his fundraising acumen to aid Syrian refugees.

That night I read a few more chapters [from The Long Winter, in the Little House on the Prairie series] to my boy about a pioneer family trying to survive in a building that’s not much more than a wooden shack. No insulation. No electricity. Cut off from civilization due to blizzards. They have a stove too, but there’s no coal. No firewood. They keep alive by burning hay. All they have to eat is potatoes. Then even the potatoes run out and they have nothing to eat but grain.

It goes on for months, and while I’m reading, all I can think is: How can people possibly survive like this?

The next morning, I stumble onto an article about the Syrian refugees. Lebanon just had its worst blizzard in a decade. Feet of snow. And most refugees don’t even have a clapboard shack for shelter. They’ve got tents. Tarps. They have nothing. They’re freezing to death. Kids are freezing to death in the snow….

More details and a link for donations on Rothfuss’ post.

Edit 9:47 am: I posted this blog late last night, not knowing what the reaction might be. Whenever you reach out to people like this, it’s a risk. What’s more, I hadn’t done a lot of planning, and I was worried it might not go over well.

So I posted the blog and tried not to think about it. Around 4:00 I finally managed to get to sleep.

A few minutes ago I woke up, blearily checked my phone, and saw that we’ve raised over $28,000.

I’ve never been so happy to be awake after only 5 hours of sleep.

Worldbuilders is done matching donations. But I’m in such a good mood that I’m going to put another 25,000 dollars of my own money so we can keep matching donations. I’d love to see this thing keep rolling.

[Thanks to Jonathan Olfert for the story.]