Michonne’s Softer Side: Danai Gurira Offers VIP ‘Walking Dead’ Season 6 Premiere Trip For Charity


Danai Gurira, the woman behind Michonne of AMC’s The Walking Dead, has a softer side.

People reported that in order to raise funds for the non-profit Almasi Arts Alliance she co-founded in 2011, Danai is offering a chance for a once-in-a-lifetime fan experience to those supporting the charity.

“For the Walking Dead fan it’s a really exciting thing,” stated Gurira.

The actress has chosen to reveal that there is a great deal of heart behind her stoic Michonne persona. To help build a better world, she is promoting charity and international sharing of the arts.

The fact that the result of some lucky TWD fan’s $10 donation will be the chance to win both a trip to the season 6 premiere as well as an on-site tour of sets in Atlanta complete with weapons training and zombie makeup only expounds on the epic impact for this charity.

“And the beauty of it is that it benefits such a great cause.”

U.S.-born Gurira co-founded the non-profit Almasi Arts Alliance to “create and facilitate artistic collaborations between African artists and American artists.”

“This is about empowering people,” said Gurira.

Danai explains it all in the following soundbite from her non-profit’s CrowdRise page.

Danai was raised in Zimbabwe, and the 37-year-old hopes to engender a “cultural exchange” between two countries she calls home. She hopes to help “professionalize the Dramatic Arts industry in Zimbabwe” by bringing “access and opportunities” to artists in Zimbabwe through mentorships, training, and exchange programs.

Danai Gurira co-founded Almasi to help professionalize the Dramatic Arts industry in Zimbabwe through education, facilitation, and collaboration with professional American Dramatic Artists and Artistic Institutions. All proceeds from this fundraiser will go to help provide arts programs to the people of Zimbabwe this summer and fall.

Gurira’s work has already begun to take effect as Almasi has already transported directors and artists from the United States to Zimbabwe as teachers and mentors. As part of the cultural exchange, Zimbabwean students have been given the opportunity to study their art of choice in the U.S.

It is a focus of one artist as a time for Danai, but her ultimate goal is to see a school become as prominent as her own alma mater, NYU’s Tisch, built on African grounds.

“You get so busy just thinking about the logistics and fundraising but you hope it has an impact,” shared Gurira. “The other day, there was a lady who emailed me who had never directed before going through our mentorship program. She had just finished her directorial debut and she said, ‘Thank you for empowering me.’ That really touched me. It was very moving.”

The prize package for the ultimate winner is something of a Walking Dead fangasm.

In October, the winner will enjoy a trip for two to New York City to attend the Season 6 premiere of The Walking Dead at New York’s Madison Square Garden as Danai’s guest. This includes the after party, airfare, and a free hotel stay. The same winner then gets flown to Atlanta on a trip for two for a tour of famous location sites from the show.

The same lucky winner then gets weapons training and will learn to shoot a revolver and a crossbow, get made up as a zombie for a photo shoot, have lunch with Gurira and possibly other Walking Dead cast members, then leave with a Go Bag of disaster survival gear.

Those who wish to contribute a little more will get guaranteed perks, including a digital card and thank you from Danai Gurira, a signed photo, a shout-out on Twitter from the actress, and/or a signed TWD T-shirt.

The contest is open to anyone. To qualify for the chance to win the Walking Dead package, fans are asked to make a minimum donation of $10 to Almasi’s CrowdRise page before September 24.

With all these perks and A-list training, perhaps the next time TWD has a casting call as previously reported via the Inquisitr, the contest winner can add these experiences to his/her talent profile and be one of the lucky hundreds cast as an extra. Perhaps that lucky winner will get the chance to be killed off by Danai Gurira’s Michonne in The Walking Dead Season 6.

[Image courtesy of AMC]

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