Family funding film five dollars at a time

Film makers are raising money for a documentary by asking 54,200 for five dollar donations.

SEATTLE - December 18, 2002 - Five Seattle area siblings are raising money to make a documentary film about their uncles 47 years as a missionary in southern Chile by asking 54,200 people to donate five dollars each.

Paul, Joan, Thomas, Ann and Patrick Sammon hope to raise $271,000 for a documentary about 76-year-old Father Richard Sammon, who has founded six schools, a nursing home, radio station, dental clinic and agricultural school in the village of Portezuelo since arriving from New York almost half a century ago.

The Sammons have raised just over $20,000 since going online about one month ago. The web site lays out the case for their proposed project after very bluntly asking visitors for a $5 donation.

The Sammons hope to generate approximately $1.5 million in profits from the film, entitled Culture Shocked," through television and home video sales. Proceeds will benefit The Childrens Hope Fund, a nonprofit organization established by the Sammons to aid the children of Portezuelo.

Thomas Sammon, who owns a Los Angeles-based television and film production company, and Patrick Sammon, a television news reporter in Tennessee, will oversee production.
For more information, call the fund at (206) 244-5329 or at 1-888-426-4673 or visit its Web site, www.childrenshopefund.org.