Islanders turned out in droves Friday night for the Will Sing For Food fundraiser at the Red Bike and donated more than $1,600 to the Vashon-Maury Community Food Bank.
The amount was the most that the event, now in its third year, has ever raised. Event organizer Pete Welch said that the figure was $1,100 more than the amount raised in 2013, and roughly $600 more than the 2014 number.
The restaurant was filled to the brim and standing-room only from the 8 p.m. start time. It was just another example of the kind of people that make up the Vashon community: action-minded, concerned and generous. It never fails to be amazing when the community rallies behind a cause with not just words, but monetary action.
In communities around the nation, Christmas time brings with it a call to give to charitable organizations, but most pleas go unanswered. In larger towns and cities, the work of smaller organizations gets buried by the in-your-face advertising and pervasiveness of corporate America and the rat race of 9 to 5 jobs and the constant pursuit of more money. It’s refreshing to see hundreds of people gather together to laugh at corny jokes, hear holiday songs and enjoy each other’s company all in the pursuit of supporting a local organization that is focused on helping those who struggle financially.
Island historian Bruce Haulman got it right last week when he talked about the fact that islanders open their wallets for their passions. Luckily, we live in a place where people are passionate about people, a quality that is becoming tougher and tougher to come across. This fact manifested itself most recently on Friday night, but it happens every day when someone outside Thriftway drops a donation into an elf’s bucket, shops at Granny’s Attic or gives money to any of the dozens of other nonprofits on the island.
The island community has held on as a largely calm and caring place despite the ever-increasing self-centered nature that has taken hold of society elsewhere.
It does not take grand holiday spirit announcements and over-scaled donation campaigns to incite change and action here. The community should never lose that spirit.
