When former A2Central.com administrator, KansasFest committee chair, and Juiced.GS staff writer Tony Diaz passed away in October 2021, his estate in Oceanside, California, was left in disarray. Countless rare prototypes, irreplaceable source code, and more were in an unknown state.
Two years later, KansasFest Inc. has made arrangements with the Diaz family to salvage Tony’s collection. In addition to rescue and transportation, expenses will include the purchase of some of the items. To cover these costs, KansasFest has started a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign.
From the campaign page:
Tony always intended to document, scan and share aspects of his collection. He started many projects but only finished a few. Most projects we know about are in limbo. Collections of manuals, technical documents, source code, and software are waiting for someone to pick them up and do something productive for the benefit of all… or to be thrown away because no one understands their historical value. The estate isn’t giving everything away. To preserve some items, we may have to purchase them from the estate.
GoFundMe
KansasFest president Sean Fahey had posted a Facebook plea asking for volunteers to participate in the rescue operation in Oceanside, California, USA, in April. (This request, likely now fulfilled, has since been deleted.) Later, Fahey responded to a Facebook question about what will come of items acquired by KansasFest:
We’re looking for documentation, source code, manuals and other artifacts, to share with the community. It’s possible some things might go to the Garage Giveaway or be forwarded to an organization like the Computer History Museum, where maybe, once in great while, they might be part of an exhibit.
Facebook
The GoFundMe is seeking $25,000. Unlike all-or-nothing crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, GoFundMe allows fundraisers to collect whatever funds are raised, without deadline. KansasFest is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and contributions to their GoFundMe are tax-deductible.