Drive the red carpet at Big O Gala
A staple of the fall gala season will take place with a twist at 6:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, when Open Space for Arts & Community hosts its annual fundraiser at the Night Light Drive-in, on the great lawn of the arts and community center.
The fun of the socially-distant gala will revolve around the drive-in, a partnership between Vashon Theatre and Open Space that has kept islanders entertained all summer long with action flicks and comic classic gems.
According to organizers, attendees can experience all the decadence and delight the Big O Gala from the comfort of their motorcars. The night will start with attendees driving the red carpet into the theater. Door prizes, to be randomly given away, including a case of Palouse wine, a staycation in a Vashon house overlooking Mt. Rainier, a private showing at Vashon Theatre, and more. “Auto-d’oeuvres” will include a box of snacks and treats inspired by classic movie concessions. A program of inspiring and hard-to-find short films will be the centerpiece of the night. The gala will also include a rolling “raise the paddle” to benefit Open Space programs including !Attention! Artists at Work jobs program and more.
The gate opens at 6:45 p.m. for the event, with films rolling at 7:45 p.m. Tickets, $50 per person, can be purchased at openspacevashon.com.
Night Light offers more movie magic
Regular screenings at the Night Light Drive-in include a 20-year anniversary screening of “Almost Famous,” presented by Deborah Heesch and Vashon Island Visual Artists, on Sunday, Sept. 13. The schedule rolls on next week with “The Wizard of Oz” on Thursday, Sept. 17 and Saturday, Sept. 19, and “Fantastic Fungi,” on Friday, Sept. 18 and Sunday, Sept. 20. Gates will open at 6:30 p.m. for all screenings, with films starting at 7:30 p.m. Get tickets, $20 for a carload, at vashontheatre.com, where you can also purchase concessions in advance. Safety protocols apply, read them carefully on the website.
Passport2Pain on KVSH
COVID-19 has forced the Vashon Island Rowing Club to re-think this year’s Passport2Pain bike ride, scheduled for Saturday, Sept 12. The race, in normal years, takes a pack of cyclists up and down the island’s gnarliest hills. This year, riders are being asked to separately seek out hills near where they live, and then stay in touch during a special four-hour live broadcast on Voice of Vashon, co-hosted by Jeff Hoyt, Jim Marsh and Tara Morgan. Riders will hear the songs they requested for the show — each chosen to inspire sore legs up the steepest of hills. The hosts will also hold drawings for prizes, follow the Junior rowers’ quest to “triple-summit” Everest in one day (87,105 feet of accumulated vertical), track all the action on Instagram during the ride and talk to riders live, both in-studio and over the phone. Tune in from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at KVSH 101.9FM, or voiceofvashon.org. For more information about the race, visit passport2pain.org.
St. Ophelia plays campfire session
Vashon Live’s Campfire Sessions will feature the popular Vashon band, St. Ophelia, at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, on facebook.com/vashonlive. The alt-folk band is fronted by singer/songwriter Joseph Panzetta and vocalist Rebekah Kuzma. They are backed by Dan Tyack on pedal steel, Wesley Peterson on drums and Chuck Keller on bass. Be sure to follow instructions to leave a digital tip for the band.
Panel launches prevention campaign
Vashon BePrepared will launch a monthlong suicide prevention campaign at 7 p.m. September 10, World Suicide Prevention Day, with a free live broadcast, “Tales from the Edge: Suicide Survivors Share Their Stories. Three panelists will share their lessons during a free live broadcast about confronting suicide, to be broadcast at vashoncenterforthearts.org.
The panel, led by veteran Voice of Vashon host Susan McCabe, will share their lessons from confronting suicide in themselves, in their families and in their mental health clients.
“We hope this broadcast will start giving our community some healing tools to help each other deal with the pandemic’s devastating impacts,” said McCabe.
“Racism and Japanese Americans” talk
Join Friends of Mukai President Rita Brogan, Joe Okimoto, Mukai board member, and historian Bruce Haulman as they look at the way our Japanese-American community has experienced racism here and in the Pacific Northwest through the decades. This Zoom talk, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, will include personal stories about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II as well as a discussion of today’s issues of social justice, immigration and the changing face of today’s Japanese-American community. To find the Zoom link to the talk, visit vashonheritage.com or call the Senior Center at 206-463-5173 for more information.
Rotary partners to fight homelessness
The Vashon Rotary Club has announced its first-ever virtual event to fight the homeless crisis. “Prevent Homelessness on Vashon” is a community partnership with the Vashon Chamber and Our Mayberry, a new socially-responsible e-commerce platform that will facilitate raising funds for three island social service agencies: St. Vincent de Paul, Vashon Youth and Family Services and Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness. Utilizing Our Mayberry’s platform, participating businesses on the Island will sell “meal packages” that will include a “ticket” to a live virtual concert starting at 7 p.m Wednesday, Sept. 16, by Vashon musicians and hosted by actor, musician, and auctioneer Kevin Joyce. The fundraising goal is $25,000. Find the details at vashonrotary.org.
