RAFFLE TO HELP VAL KLEITZ: Aaron’s Bicycle Repair proprietor Aaron Goss shares that photo with word that its subject, longtime shop worker and friend Val Kleitz, is fighting cancer, and, “While his prognosis is good, his medical bills are adding up” – so a fundraising raffle’s been arranged. A new turquoise 2010 Redline 925 donated by Seattle Bike Supply and assembled by Aaron’s will be raffled off at 1 pm Dec. 20. Till then, anyone 18+ can buy $5 tickets to get in on it – all proceeds to help with Val’s medical bills. They’re on sale at the shop (6527 California SW), or you can simply make a medical-bills-fund donation from the raffle-info page on Aaron’s site.

SUCCESSFUL CELL-PHONE DRIVE CONCLUDES: Megan Wilson Tutty sends word via Facebook that the cell-phone collection drive at Easy Street Records (to help domestic-violence victims, as first reported here in October) is over, so please don’t take any more phones there. She says the drive to help the Victim Support Team, with which she volunteers, collected 138 phones!

MERRILL GARDENS’ FUNDRAISING TOTAL FOR OFFICERS’ FAMILIES: After last Wednesday night’s fundraising pasta dinners at both West Seattle locations of Merrill Gardens (WSB sponsor), we reported their $1,500 total – but those were only two of 21 MG locations participating. Now we know that the fundraiser’s grand total is $25,000, including an MG corporate donation of $5,000. They expect to make a presentation to the officers’ guild soon. If you missed this fundraiser and the $126,000 Papa John’s two-day event, you can still donate directly to the Lakewood fund by going here.