“Megawatt’s Legacy Lives On” – and we/you are part of it

As you may recall, the community-building organization Megawatt decided last month to disband, but its leaders were hopeful that its legacy, and its best-known events, would carry on, with new organizers. As just officially announced in Megawatt’s last e-mail bulletin, that’s going to happen:

Megawatt’s Legacy Lives On

Megawatt is thrilled to announce that the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day and the Gathering of Neighbors will continue in 2008 and beyond under new leadership.

The West Seattle Blog is the new organizer of the West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day. Tracy Record and Patrick Sand have a lot of creative ideas for this beloved West Seattle event. Check out the West Seattle Blog at www.westseattleblog.com for ongoing updates.

The Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association will take on leadership for the Gathering of Neighbors. DNDA is a trusted West Seattle steward and under their guidance GON will continue as an inspired community event. Contact Derek Birnie at www.dnda.org for more information.

Megawatt is officially signing off. Thank you for making all of this important work possible.

Here’s to community. Here’s to West Seattle.

Congratulations to Megawatt founder Mary Ellen Cunningham, her board, and their colleagues for everything they’ve accomplished. And to DNDA for taking on Gathering of Neighbors, which is an awesome way to find out more about community resources and opportunities. And now, about those garage sales — We are thrilled that Mary Ellen and the Megawatt board decided to trust WSB with Community Garage Sale Day. It’s something that truly and literally all of West Seattle can be part of – as sellers and/or shoppers (and we’re hoping for some community partners in other roles too) – and something that also can draw people from other areas to come visit our fabulous peninsula. Plus, we can all talk a lot about it online before, during, and after. Megawatt created an instant tradition by launching this event in 2005, and we hope you will help make the 4th Annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day ’08 a ton of fun. If you were a seller or buyer last year, and you have a thought on what you hope won’t change and what you think would make it an optimal experience, please leave a comment here or e-mail us any time at a special mailbox we’ve set up: garagesale@westseattleblog.com. Oh, and mark your calendar – we want to continue the Megawatt tradition of scheduling this for the second Saturday in May – that’ll be May 10th, 2008! We’ll talk more about this soon, and we’ll set up a forum topic when it gets a little closer.

k January 31, 2008 (3:55 pm)

great work mary ellen! thanks from west seattle! kudos to WSB for picking up the garage sale baton!!!

Derek Birnie January 31, 2008 (4:07 pm)

DNDA joins WSB in congratulating the leadership at Megawatt for the mark they’ve made on our community and in our pride in carrying on the legacy. Stay tuned to WSB or visit us at http://www.dnda.org/news/ to get updates on Gathering of Neighbors.

KatherineL January 31, 2008 (4:57 pm)

Thanks for taking on the WS garage sale. But May 10? That’s the same day as the WNPS native plant sale in Bellevue! How can you do this to me?

Stacie January 31, 2008 (8:29 pm)

You guys at WSB are truly machines. I don’t know where you get all your energy, but West Seattle is a closer community and a safer place with you here.

chas redmond February 1, 2008 (1:58 am)

Mary Ellen and everyone associated with Megawatt – Thank you, thank you, thank you. It’s one of the few local traditions which I can say I was here long enough to have seen birthed and evolve. There’s still more of Megawatt to integrate into the community, it wasn’t just the Gathering of Neighbors nor simply the incredible peninsula-wide weekend garage sale gala. It was and is about community, knowing the connections, making that spark happen. In whatever incarnation that spirit of Megawatt arises anew, I want to be part of the continuing flight. Again, to all of you Megawatters – thanks for caring and doing such a stunningly awesome job. I’m still impressed and it was almost becoming old-hat.

Karin Murray February 1, 2008 (7:57 am)

Thanks so much for keeping the tradition going! We have participated in the annual garage sale day since it started and our groups of girls look forward to it every year! (yes, they are already filling my garage with sale items!). We loved the donation pick-up and timing was perfect….the truck showed up just as we had finished packing up the boxes! Looking forward to may 10th!

MW February 1, 2008 (11:12 am)

Thanks, WSB! And a big thanks to DNDA as well. It’s wonderful to see that Megawatt’s events will continue on in great hands.
Honestly, Megawatt always sought to be the community “spark”, creating great ideas and gathering community -based support for events and activities. So it’s great to see that part of mission fulfilled.
It was an honor to serve on the Megawatt board for three years. The precedent that was set by Megawatt for community-building will last far into the future.
Thanks again!
Mark Wainwright

The other \ February 1, 2008 (12:46 pm)

Megawatt was born out of Mary Ellen’s energy, passion, vision, and core drive to “just do good things for people”. Megawatt then grew, and will live on, with the energy, passion, and vision of many, many other people with that same drive. I’m really proud to be one of those people, to have had this incredible opportunity to grow and learn and contribute to my community. I am so grateful and honored to have had the opportunity to meet and work with so many amazing people. Thank you so much!

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