Need help for Burner with cancer

petdrbowie · Post by **petdrbowie** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 9:04 am

Hi out there,
My friend Curtis Coleman has severe cancer of the throat area. For a detail of his current situation and a history of his beautiful additions to our planet, go to www.friendsofcurtis.com.

But, we are attempting a large fundraiser with the added goal of establishing a community that can respond to the needs of its members through mass action.

Here is the problem. Those of us working on this benefit have little experience in the way of getting venues, production of a large scale event, including catering/liquor licenses etc.

Was hoping there were people in the Burner community that might be able to offer professional expertise.

Any help, suggestions or leads are greatly appreciated.
Much love,

Peter

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 2:41 pm

I visited with Curtis and Andi last week and had a wonderful time with others decorating their home for the season. This is one awesome guy and he is in a really crappy situation. We can make a difference.

Yay!

Rian Jackson · Post by **Rian Jackson** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 2:49 pm

Peter:

Can you tell us more about what you are needing, specifically, advice-wise?

I'm not a professional but i have done some of this... with varying amounts of success.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 3:02 pm

Locale might be helpful too. I'm assuming Bay Area/South Bay. That may make a difference venuewise.

GuinivereElise · Post by **GuinivereElise** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 3:05 pm

isn't this the second time we've heard about this??

I remember this from a while ago...

Rian Jackson · Post by **Rian Jackson** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 3:08 pm

i think so. but i'm pretty sure we can get some organising help.

but frankly, if we're talking having a show in Barrow Alaska, my tips will be different than in Seattle.

though remarkably similar to, say, N Dakota.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 3:10 pm

I've never heard of any whales caught under the ice in North Dakota.

Maybe cows.

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 4:00 pm

GuinivereElise wrote:isn't this the second time we've heard about this??

I remember this from a while ago...

Well, yeah, they live in San Jose. Since Curtis has no medical insurance what they have been doing is some fundraisers. Just before he had surgery he recorded some of his songs and the CDs will be on sale soon. There is also a paypal link on the web page. Throat cancer is bad enough for someone that makes their living with their voice, but not having insurance is kindof a double wammy.

Yes, I think Arthur posted something here a while back and if I can find it, I will bump the thread. You can find more information in the Friends of Curtis tribe on tribe.net

Rian Jackson · Post by **Rian Jackson** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 4:06 pm

Well, it's seemed to me that the difficult part will be getting people there, to the fundraiser.

there are performances and auctions and of all types. in an art community it shouldn't be difficult to find local talent willing to donate some energy for a good cause.

when it comes to getting people there, it's a bit hit and miss... but i would see if you can't get a group of people committed to bringing (x) number of friends who aren't part of the alpha group. do it on the strength of the cause or the programme, preferrably both. make sure it's attractive (like, hey, maybe i wouldn't rather just stay home and read) and make sure they can't forget about it - without being obnoxious.

your venue and your choice of fundraiser - and this doesn't even cover non-venue things, like bake sales or what have you - will dictate a lot about how you go about bringing people into the event.

newspapers?
flyering?
word of mouth?

more info when you get a chance, please.

of course, wild parties can be incredibly successful fundraisers - but you'll need a staff.

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 4:14 pm

There is a team getting together now for a fundraiser in LA. There will be another party at Curtis and Andi's place to de-decorate sometime early in the new year. Events are posted in the tribe and I really don't want to spam this place up. My intention by posting to this thread was to vouch for the fact that Curtis is real, he really does have cancer, he is a wonderful guy though I have not known him long, and it isn't some scam.

Rob the Wop · Post by **Rob the Wop** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 4:21 pm

Rian Jackson wrote: of course, wild parties can be incredibly successful fundraisers - but you'll need a staff.

I think there is one being held in Portland on New Year's for him. The people holding it tend to throw some pretty good parties. A lot of the same folks that held the Portland Decompression, ifins I'm not mistaken.

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 4:25 pm

MrrpMrrp

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 8:42 am

Thanks, Geekster. I ordered his CD online at the www.friendsofcurtis.com website and it was easy. Even heard a sample there.

All: If you like Cat Stevens' earlier music, you will love this guy. Or you could simply choose to love this guy.

III · Post by **III** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 11:58 am

huh.

for those of you that don't know, pj (the one in the top 25 posters list) has been fighting non hodgkins lymphoma for a while now. when discovered, his body was riddled with tumors, some of them the size of grapefruits. after extensive chemo and radiation therapy, most of the tumors are gone, but his marrow was still cancerous. he then underwent an autologous stem cell transplant, unsuccessfully. he is currently undergoing maintenance levels of chemotherapy to hold back the cancer while a suitable external donor is found. so far, he's had no luck in finding a good match, though there are a couple of maybes that will be used when the disease accelerates, which they expect it to do sometime in the next 3-6 months.

he doesn't need money, but is heavily encouraging people to join the national marrow donor program registry. it's probably not as much fun as doing a fundraiser, but it has the potential to make a much greater difference in someone's life.

III · Post by **III** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 11:59 am

excuse the fucking phpbb bug that doesn't let you edit your posts, as well as the other fucking phpbb bug that doesn't properly parse the url macro. i'd go back and fix it, but i can't.

Sandwichman · Post by **Sandwichman** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 12:14 pm

geekster wrote:MrrpMrrp

The Mrrp Girls fundraiser was an absolute success. There were so many people we could not all fit into one room for the midnight countdown. Autumn was on the phone with Curtis at one point and he got to hear first hand the cheers of people showing support.

My only question is whether or not people are working to find some solution to create a sustainable funding for Curtis because fundraising will not be a constant enough source of funds to keep his health up.

Jason

Rian Jackson · Post by **Rian Jackson** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 12:51 pm

mm, III, we were just talking about PJ on Saturday, sending our best vibes that direction. Thanks for the link.

I'll check and see if Puget Sound Blood Center also does marrow - i know they collect platelets. Handily enough, they're a block from my house - so if'n you seattleites want to go together, we can recover there.

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 1:58 pm

My grandfather had non-hodgkins lymphoma and our entire family donated platelets regularly. My mother still travels 100 miles to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore to give them platelets several times a year.

If you can, it is always a good idea to donate blood anyway, you never know when you might need some yourself.

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 2:08 pm

Mister Jellyfish Mister wrote:Thanks, Geekster. I ordered his CD online at the www.friendsofcurtis.com website and it was easy. Even heard a sample there.

All: If you like Cat Stevens' earlier music, you will love this guy. Or you could simply choose to love this guy.

Yeah, he has done most of his work with children, singing at elementary schools teaching children safety and other real world awareness stuff through song. Awesome man.

I don't know pj, but I will send love and support that way too.

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 2:12 pm

Sandwichman wrote:
geekster wrote:MrrpMrrp
My only question is whether or not people are working to find some solution to create a sustainable funding for Curtis because fundraising will not be a constant enough source of funds to keep his health up.
Jason

Rather than make a large donation, I have decided to make a regular monthly smaller donation via paypal for just that reason.

petdrbowie · Post by **petdrbowie** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:16 am

Thank you all for your input.

Here are the details as we see them. The main event will take place in the Bay Area -- likely San Francisco. Currently Cafe Cocomo and 12 Galaxies have shown some interest. It's likely to be in the end of February, early March if possible. The plan for the venue is to have 2 areas, a chill area and a rockin' area. Early on the event will be more into live music, possibly an auction, community stuff, seguing to more DJ/dance later. It would be fun to have some of the live music play some of Curtis's songs.

From my side of this, I'm looking for performers who would be interested in playing live music and possibly a Curtis tune. Also, a DJ or 2 with a really good draw.

Also, it's possible we may find a venue that does not carry it's own liquor license so we could possibly use someone with catering connections.

There is lots of room for other action as well, including but not limited to donating time on massage tables, performance or visual art, these kinds of things.

I'm told there may be a simulcast event in LA at the same time, so the LA burner crews could get involved there.

Once again, thanks for your time and input.

Peace,
Peter

regynalonglank · Post by **regynalonglank** » Fri Jan 07, 2005 11:29 pm

do da bump dee bump

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 11:06 pm

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercuryn ... 072.htm?1c

Curtis was in the local paper this weekend.. Check out the photos!

Need help for Burner with cancer

Need help for Burner with cancer

Curtis continued.