The popular meme-themed digital currency dogecoin is the focus of an upcoming event to be hosted by local advocacy group Spelunk.in at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles, California, on 4th April.

Dogecoin made headlines earlier this year after more than $30,000 in dogecoins was raised to support the Jamaican Olympic bobsled team, but since then the one-time joke currency has gained a steady stream of enthusiasts. To date, this has included Reddit CEO Yishan Wong as well as major VC investors.

Set to run from 7pm to 10pm PST, DogeParty West is a chance for digital currency enthusiasts and newbies alike to learn about everything dogecoin.

The party coincides with the announcement that local merchant Meltdown Comics will accept dogecoin. In February, Meltdown Comics became one of the first stores in the Los Angeles area to accept bitcoin.

Said general manager Francisco Dominguez:

“We launched with bitcoin and that was a huge success, and now I get new customers, people who haven’t been to the store, but have bitcoin and need a place to spend them.”

As opposed to Satoshi Square events, which emphasize bitcoin trading, organisers say the dogecoin parties happening around the US are more informal.

Admission is free, and both humans and shibas are encouraged to attend.

Fundraising details

The gathering is also set to highlight the more charitable side of the dogecoin currency with proceeds raised (in dogecoins) going to Southern California Shiba Inu Rescue and Two Dog Farms.

Among the main events are a DogeDog contest and a special gathering with doggy ‘guests’ from the above two canine residences.

Party-goers will also have the opportunity to ‘adopt’ a shiba inu of their own at the event using either their dogecoins or dollars.

Those who are unable to attend can also send donations online.

The Dogecoin Foundation most recently raised funds for NASCAR driver Josh Wise and for a charity:water initiative aimed at helping build two water wells in remote Kenya.

DogeParty West is not affiliated formally with any dogecoin organisations.

Additional attractions

Several demonstrations will also be held during the event, including ones for an indie video game funded by dogecoins, a doge-themed card game, and a how-to on mining the shiba-themed currency.

Furthermore, Neon Roots will display its live digital currency price ticker, while Meltdown Comics will be hosting a live reddit feed, as well as a live video stream of the event.

DJ Headshot and Carl Schwenk will be providing live music, and the Let’s Be Frank food truck will be serving up refreshments.

Community spirit

In an interview with CoinDesk, Dominguez cited the costs of conducting credit card transactions as one reason that Meltdown Comics began accepting bitcoins and dogecoins, as well as grassroots support among the store’s customer base and beyond.

He also pointed to the characteristic enthusiasm of dogecoin enthusiasts and said he hopes the event captures some of that energy in a positive way.

Ultimately, he sees DogeParty West as a way to promote the community aspect of digital currencies.

“[The dogecoin community are] a fun crowd and it kind of fits really well with what we have going at Meltdown, as we’re a community as well.”

Meltdown Comics is located at 7522 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. More information about DogeParty West can be found by clicking here.

Images courtesy of Spelunk.in