Two days till ‘Hope for Jan,’ this Sunday at Feedback Lounge

This fall, the WSB Forums – added 2 years after the site’s debut – turn four. They were created when the requests for local recommendations – “where do I find a …” – started to overwhelm the front-page news stream. That’s a form of “people helping people,” and the Forums also have yielded face-to-face versions of that … as members joined together to reach out to people who need more than information. Sometimes, that’s meant face-to-face events, like the one coming up Sunday at the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), a fundraising silent auction for Jan Seeley, a longtime Forums and comment-section participant you’d recognize as “JanS.” But much more than a screen name, she is a West Seattle community member, wearing hats including independent businessperson and mom.

Jan’s had health trouble for a while, and has won some victories, beating breast cancer, among other things. Right now she is in another health battle, waiting for a kidney transplant, because of a rare disease called fibrillary glomerulonephritis. Jan’s daughter Jessica had hoped to be a match, but tests revealed that was not to be, so Jan is still waiting and hoping. But Jessica, friends, and Forums members have done something else to help – organized Sunday’s fundraiser, including rustling up some unique auction items. Drop by The Feedback 2-5 pm Sunday to bid on something and enjoy Happy Hour (with proceeds from a special drink and appetizer going to Jan’s fund), as well as chair massage. Auction items mentioned in the ongoing WSB Forums discussion about the event so far include: great wine, coffee baskets, photographs, art, pest control services, massage gift cards, yard work, bagels from Zatz’s, an Angelina’s gift card, Curves membership, and handblown-glass ornaments. (Tis the season!) The Feedback is at 6451 California SW. By the way, its co-proprietor Jeff Gilbert is also a graphics artist extraordinaire and designed the poster art above (as well as the many others you’ll see on the Feedback’s site regarding the other events it hosts/presents).

23 Replies to "Two days till 'Hope for Jan,' this Sunday at Feedback Lounge"

  • Aman November 4, 2011 (6:58 am)

    Where would one send a monetary contribution in lieu of attending?

  • A November 4, 2011 (7:10 am)

    Can we stop by, bid and be contacted later if we win? I don’t want to hang around.

    • WSB November 4, 2011 (7:43 am)

      Good questions. I will call Jessica’s attention to them so she can either answer here or reply to me in e-mail so I can add info here. For A, I would wager 99.9% the answer is “yes,” since this isn’t meant to be a “show up and sit down for three hours” type event but rather a drop-in happening, as I understand it. (As opposed to a “must be present to win” contest drawing…) – TR

  • 2 Much Whine November 4, 2011 (8:03 am)

    I will be making the glass ornaments tomorrow morning. I’d be willing to entertain making some with specific color schemes if someone is interested. I can’t promise anything but if I see some suggestions for certain colors (white and gold, red and green, black and silver, etc.) I’ll take a crack at making a series with similar color schemes. . . . all depends on how the glass is behaving, what colors I have available, how the colors interact with each other, etc.

  • Irukandji November 4, 2011 (8:09 am)

    Jan’s business site has a direct donation option to build her savings/transplant fund: http://www.massageforwell-being.com.
    .
    And I believe the auction items will have a place for phone or e-mail contact information so we can make sure to get items to the winners after the event if the winner is not on site.
    .
    Thanks!

  • HelperMonkey November 4, 2011 (8:16 am)

    There’s a “donate” button here: http://massageforwell-being.com/default.aspx

    Hope to see lots of you at the auction on Sunday!

  • The Velvet Bulldog November 4, 2011 (8:18 am)

    The Forums are only four years old? I must spend way too much time on them then, ‘cuz it seems like I’ve spent at least six years of my life commenting…

    • WSB November 4, 2011 (10:05 am)

      Uh oh, TVB, “Forums age person beyond their years” would be bad publicity … or “Time moves slowly when in WSB Forums” … j/k. We implemented them (with the help of an awesome guy named Stu who has since moved out of WS but lent us tech help pro-bono at the time, bless him) in December 2007, not long after WSB became a business, I quit my day job, all that. (The site itself was “born” in December 2005.)

  • Aman November 4, 2011 (8:50 am)

    Thanks for the link (BELOW) to donate by credit card / PayPal.
    http://massageforwell-being.com/default.aspx

    What if the donation is to be made by Ca$h or Check? Thanks!

  • The Velvet Bulldog November 4, 2011 (8:55 am)

    2MW: I collect red glass, so the more red, the better… :-)

  • Magpie November 4, 2011 (9:07 am)

    The bid sheets are being assembled and there are many wonderful items from all over West Seattle and donations from friends and family. There are coffee items, bowling, artwork, massages, baked goods, jewelry, restaurant gift certificates, hotel gift certificate, photography, spa items, cook books, and much, much more! Come do your holiday shopping!

  • JanS November 4, 2011 (9:11 am)

    my heart is bursting…what a fun afternoon that will be :)

  • JessicaDiamant November 4, 2011 (9:12 am)

    Hi All – We were planning to have all auction items paid for and picked up on Sunday. We don’t have the resources or the time to do this after the fact. Bidding will start at 2 pm and end at 4 pm on the day of the event and you will need to be present to win unless you place a guaranteed bid (a high bid). Also, there will be plenty of things that are for sale that won’t be on auction. I suggest if you don’t want to stick around for long that you come right before 4 for bidding. Or you can always come to bid, leave and come back.

    Also, we will have two laptop computers at the event so if you’d like to donate using a credit card, you can go to Jan’s page and click on the donate button through PayPal. If you would like to send a donation through regular mail, please contact me separately.

    There will also be a drink and appetizer special and two massage therapists doing onsite massage, so it’s going to be a fun event that hopefully people will want to stay for a few hours and hang out at!

  • 2 Much Whine November 4, 2011 (9:15 am)

    TVB, red as in red or red as in kind of a wine, maroonish color? Transparent or opaque?

  • Irukandji November 4, 2011 (2:29 pm)

    My mistake about on-site v. potential delivery. SORRY! Be there!

  • A November 4, 2011 (3:48 pm)

    Too bad. I won’t be there then. I work till 4. I thought it said to 5 so I was thinking about stopping in and bidding quickly before heading home. Oh well. Good luck.

  • HelperMonkey November 4, 2011 (4:20 pm)

    A, even though the auction proper will be called at 4 we’ll still be there until well after 5 – please stop in and say hi, maybe pick up a bargain on something that didn’t go at auction or just donate money, say hi, meet Jan – whatever! If you come up and ID yourself as “A from the West Seattle Blog” I’ll even buy you a cocktail! :D

  • HelperMonkey November 4, 2011 (4:27 pm)

    hahaha, I just thought about everyone who reads this coming up to me claiming to be “A” hahaha. :D

  • Angela November 4, 2011 (4:30 pm)

    I have known Jan since I was a child. I’d like to donate a gift certificate to the auction. Please let me know how to do this.

  • The Velvet Bulldog November 4, 2011 (4:57 pm)

    2MW: Red red. A transparent clear dark red is my fave. Hmmm…I’m setting myself up to HAVE to buy something, aren’t I? :-)

  • JanS November 4, 2011 (5:27 pm)

    So, A…here’s my personal invite. Bidding may be over at 4pm, but the party isn’t over until later. So come by, introduce yourself, say hi :)

  • JanS November 4, 2011 (6:44 pm)

    Angela…contact my daughter at jess.diamant at gmail.com or me at mmfeelgood at gmail.com….

  • A November 4, 2011 (6:48 pm)

    Thanks for offering to buy me a drink BUT I’m pregnant. I’ll try to stop by and see if there is anything left.

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