Dear Donors and Sponsors,
This is Brandon, Studio Manager for Gerd Ludwig.
I just got off the phone with Gerd in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – he has no internet access, but was thrilled when I told him the final Kickstarter total: $23,316! Gerd asked me to pass-on his sincere gratitude for everyone’s help in sending him back into the Zone. He spent last week covering the construction of the New Safe Confinement and even went back into reactor #4 on his birthday. Today, he traveled just outside the Zone to follow the workers who continue to shore-up the existing sarcophagus.
Due to the unfolding nuclear crisis in Japan, this project has become as timely and important as ever. While Gerd documents the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster nearly 25 years later, he reminds us that the cost and consequences of nuclear energy will continue to develop for decades to come. Without your help, his return trip would not be possible.
Again, thank you everyone for your generosity and support. We will keep you up to date through Kickstarter and the project website.
-Brandon Nightingale, for Gerd Ludwig
Dear Donors and Sponsors,
As I depart for the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, I want to sincerely thank all of you for your support of my return. To date I have raised over $17,500 through Kickstarter. You have given me faith that there continues to be a strong interest for in-depth photojournalism content, and I leave for Chernobyl to continue my coverage because of your support.
Since I am still short of my $25,000 expense budget for the trip, I would like to take this opportunity to inspire a final push to share my project with your friends, family, and colleagues. I do this not only to cover the expenses for my return, but also because I feel that the awareness for the Chernobyl disaster must continue to spread.
In that pursuit, I would also like to share with you some interesting articles I have found over the course of the last few months. If you are staying up-to-date with the project Facebook Page, perhaps you have read these already, if not, I welcome you to spend a few moments to learn more about the current issues and debates surrounding the tragedy.
New Safe Confinement Funding Shortage:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12335595
Death Toll Debate:
http://www.counterpunch.org/sherman03042011.html
http://karlgrossman.blogspot.com/2010/04/chernobyl-catastrophe-24th-anniversary.html
Wildlife Impact:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9387000/9387395.stm
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/03/18/chernobyl-animals.html
I also invite you to read an interview recently conducted by Anthony Friedkin at Samy’s Camera: http://www.samys.com/index/page/static/subpage/ludwig_friedkin
Thank you again for all of your support and interest. I hope you take some time this week to reach out again to your social networks and invite your friends to match your support and learn more about the Chernobyl tragedy.
Best, Gerd
Thank you everyone for helping me reach my intermediate Kickstarter goal! Please keep spreading the word about this project; we still have 60 days left to accept donations. Although my initial Kickstarter goal of $12,000 has now been met, I still have a lot of money to raise in order to spend the required time in the field and to help spread awareness. I am currently in the planning stages for many different outlets for this project, and will be sharing those with you when the details are all worked out.
Thank you again for your support and interest in this important story.
– Gerd Ludwig
P.S. I have added a Links page to the project website so you can learn more about the Chernobyl disaster.
I will also be updating our Facebook page with new links and invite you to share some of your own.
Please let all of your German friends know that my project website is now in German! I’ve also got a new German domain name: http://www.schattenvontschernobyl.de You can easily switch between languages using the flag icons on each page.
As of this morning the project is past 70% of the Kickstarter goal! Thanks to your support, I’ve reached this milestone in only 3 weeks!
Thank you for your continued interest in the project, and for helping to spread the word about this important story.
-Gerd Ludwig
As I celebrated Christmas with my family in Germany yesterday, I noticed that the milestones kept coming! The project has reached 50 individual Backers in only 5-days.
Thank you to everyone who has donated, shared the link with their friends, or helped spread the word.
I hope you have enjoyed the holiday season with friends and family, and are looking forward to 2011!
– Gerd Ludwig
