Sandra Kresal with Owed Con Expenses

Hello, my name is Matthew Kresal. Those who know me will be aware that from 2012-2023, I was involved with a convention in Huntsville, Alabama that celebrated an iconic British science fiction series. It was a staple of the Huntsville geek scene during those years and I was proud to be a part of something that brought so many people together.

Helping to organize a convention, as I’m sure many of you can imagine, was not without difficulties. At times during its run, we were forced to turn to outside help financially to make the event possible. This was especially true of pre-event expenses such as airline tickets or putting down funds for hotels that acted as our venues. At times, both my of parents (who divorced before I became involved with the convention) helped with such matters. My father was paid back immediately after the convention the year he helped us, which was the expectation when my mother was asked the following year to help secure airline tickets from the UK for our guests using a credit card.

However, things do not always go smoothly. The year in question saw attendance impacted by issues beyond the convention’s control, limiting its financial intake. An agreement was drawn up between my mother and the convention where the latter would make monthly payments until the debt was paid off, even if it took years. Payments were made over the subsequent few years, but rarely much more than the minimum each month, meaning the principle was barely dented.

With the con having had its last event in June 2023, it’s become increasingly clear that the full amount with interest will never be paid back. Meanwhile, interest continued to accumulate. For the last five months, my Mom and I have endeavored to pay down the remaining amount owed. All of this taking place against the backdrop of my Mom’s ongoing health issues, which has included knee replacements and multiple surgeries on her back last year, which added their own financial strain to the mix. She remains unable to work and is seeking SSDI (disability status) due to those ongoing health complications.

We are not vindictive or wishing to assign blame on anyone. But we find ourselves in dire financial straits, compounded by this unpaid debt, and this has been a difficult decision for us to make. We hope our convention friends and community will find it in their hearts to help us put this chapter behind us. Whatever you can afford to contribute -- $10, $25, anything – will help bring us some long overdue peace of mind. With our deepest thanks…