Clarion Cares is a charitable effort by our parent company, Clarion Events, which focuses on supporting the communities touched by our events. Our mission is to engage the industries in which we serve to support global and local efforts to give back to the economies and markets that host our events. We pledge to support causes that align with our core values: passion, care, respect, service, compassion, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability.

In 2026, Awesome Con is proud to support the An Open Book Foundation and the Capital City Food Bank.

AN OPEN BOOK FOUNDATION connects Washington DC-area students with authors, illustrators, and their books to nurture a lifelong love of reading. They support educational justice by building equitable access to interactive literacy enrichment and high-quality books.

AOB has partnerships with several schools, independent bookstores, and nonprofits such as the DC Public Library Foundation and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. They recently expanded their Artist-In-Residence and New and Emerging Artist of Color programs, and received the DC Library Association’s President’s Award recognizing contributions to the development of improvement of library and information services.

Awesome Con is teaming up with the Capital Area Food Bank to host a Food Drive at the event.

At the end of 2025, federal government agencies were shut down for the longest period in history, operating at decreased staffing levels from October 1 through November 12. The shutdown affected thousands of families and led to November SNAP benefits being delayed or reduced for many who relied on them. With a large concentration of government workers residing in the Washington, D.C. area, the impact was especially powerful, and the shockwaves are still being felt by many.

In an effort to lift the community we call home, we are asking those fans who are in a position to do so to donate non-perishable food items at Awesome Con. Drop off your contributions at Registration in Hall D.

Most Wanted Items Include:

• Plant proteins (canned or dry beans, whole nuts & seeds, or lentils)
• Canned tuna, salmon, or chicken (in water)
• Grains (brown & white rice, pasta, whole oats, corn & flour tortillas)
• Peanut butter (no hydrogenated oils)
• Pantry staples (cooking oils, tea, non-dairy/shelf-stable milks)
• Canned vegetables (low sodium, no salt added)
• Canned fruits (in 100% juice)
• Whole grain hot and cold cereal (containing less than 7g of sugar per serving)
• Non-sale spice (e.g. black pepper, cinnamon, garlic powder, etc.)