[freegeek-e-newsletter] Holiday Party Dec. 8/Leo Update

[e-newsletter at lists.freegeek.org]

You're reading Free Geek Holiday Party delicious elicitation email #2.  You've 
received this email because you've done great things with Free Geek in the past 
and, well, we like you.

It's your time to:
Be reminded! that your presence is requested at the Free Geek Holiday Party on
              December 8.
Learn more! about the food and fun.
Read a little bit! about Free Geek friend Leo Westwind.

Please save the night of Saturday, December 8th for an awesome, fun, free, 
private party to thank you for what you've brought to Free Geek in the past 
year, and generally celebrate how cool we all are.

Joining in the celebration will be:
* Beer and G(r)eek food
* New Deal Vodka
* BeBop jazz
* Stencil art - bring clothing to slap washable, permanent stencil art onto!
* A cute girl who raps about geeks and food by the name of Oven Mitts
* A super-cool DJ who's also a very official-sounding Free Geek Board Member
   (W00t, DJ Conform!)
* Epic fun

Details:

Free Geek Holiday Party and Leo Westwind Benefit!! W00t!
Saturday, Dec. 8th
8pm-1am
@ Free Geek
1731 SE 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214

Please feel free to invite a friend or two to the show.  Tell 'em about how cool 
the Geek is and have 'em bring some underwear to stencil a cool design onto.

This year, we'll also be holding a live pie and art auction to benefit the child 
of Free Geek collective member Michael Westwind.  Leo Westwind has been in and 
out of hospitals regularly in the past year to treat the decreased liver and 
heart function caused by Alagille Syndrome.  The cost of these trips to his 
family has been upwards of $10,000, and promises to be much more in the future. 
  We're asking attendees to consider bringing or buying a pie or piece of art at 
the party to help the family.

Please read on below for more details about donating stuff for the auction and 
other ways you can help.  In the meantime, if you'd like to donate cash, please 
visit http://freegeek.org/leofund for the Paypal link.

If you'd like to help set up for the party or have any questions, feel free to 
send an email to events at freegeek.org.

Thanks for supporting your friendly neighborhood coolest non-profit ever, and 
we'll see you in a couple weeks!

Shawn Furst
Outreach Coordinator
Free Geek

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Hi there, geek lovers.  I wanted to take a moment to update you on the status of 
12-year-old geek child Leo Westwind.  As you may remember, Leo, who's the child 
of Free Geek Tech Support Coordinator Michael Westwind, has been suffering from 
some pretty serious health issues lately due to a genetic disease called 
Alagille Syndrome.

Leo's health has been decreasing of late, so much so that doctors needed to put 
him on a feeding tube to ensure that he can get all the vitamins and nutrients 
he needs (his condition makes it so his body has a hard time utilizing some 
fat-soluble vitamins).  Even more distressing is the fact that, despite the work 
of doctors in Seattle, who've been searching for months to find an alternative 
to liver transplant for Leo, they've determined that a transplant may be his 
only chance at this point.

While liver transplant procedures are difficult in people with Alagille 
Syndrome, as well as very expensive, Leo and his mother Kyr are still grateful 
for all they still have.  "In this season of thanks, we are grateful, Leo and I, 
for this day; each day.  And we are grateful to be here together, cradled in a 
circle of love that is wider and deeper than we might ever have known if not for 
this crisis."

Thanks to all who have given help however they could.  It's obviously making a 
difference to Leo's family.  If you'd still like to help this family out, there 
are many ways to do so.  You can:

* Donate art or a pie for the live auction at Free Geek on December 8.  Please
   contact richard at freegeek.org to do so.
* Donate money by:
** Going to http://freegeek.org/leofund and using the Paypal "Donate" link.
** Send or bring a check, written to "Leo Westwind Medical Fund", to Free Geek
    (address below).
* Bid on a shiny, newly refurbished laptop on Ebay.  Free Geek donated the
   hardware, and all proceeds will go to the fund.  The link to the online
   auction will be displayed on at http://freegeek.org/leofund by 11/28.
* Bid on an item at the live auction at Free Geek on December 8 around 9pm.
* Forward this email to your friends/family and organizations that you're
   involved with.

For updates on Leo and links to information about his disease, please visit 
http://freegeek.org/leofund.

Thanks for your time and support,

Shawn and the Staff Collective
Free Geek
1731 SE 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214