We’re finally able to share a bit more about the gathering to celebrate José on Saturday, Oct. 12 at Blue Note Hawaii in Waikīkī. What’s to celebrate? So many things!
The Oct. 12 event
The event will serve as a belated retirement and birthday celebration full of live music, good eats, a teensy bit of ALS advocacy, and room full of amazing people who love José.
This Fall also marks FIVE YEARS since the onset of José’s earliest symptoms of what was eventually diagnosed as ALS. While the rate at which ALS progresses for each person living with the disease is quite variable, the mean survival time is two to five years with only about 20% of people with ALS living for five years.
While it hasn’t been easy, this is a milestone we are grateful José is able to celebrate.
This in-person brunch gathering will coincide with an online auction, and the proceeds from both the event and auction will support José’s ongoing care as we continue to navigate the increasingly challenging and costly realities of living with such a devastating illness.
We’re working with Blue Note to ensure they have all the necessary details to open ticket sales on or before José’s birthday which is coming up on Thursday, Sept. 12.
The online auction
In the meantime, we’re inviting contributions to our online auction! Now, this is not your average online auction. We’re inviting our extended #TeamJosé ‘ohana to be thoughtful and creative with your contributions.
The goals of the #TeamJose online auction are to:
- create connections between people who know and love José
- encourage others to #LiveLikeJosé through immersive experiences—especially activities rooted in food, music, art, and discovery; this is about sharing your favorite things and encouraging others to try something new!
- raise funds to allow us to continue making decisions based on the best care options available for people living with ALS
Live outside of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i?
We’re still exploring the idea of watch parties and whether it may be possible to have a stream of the Oct. 12 event for folks outside of Honolulu. We’ll be sure to share an update in the next week or two on that front.
The online auction has also been designed knowing that there are many folks in Honolulu, Orlando, and beyond who may want to participate—either by contributing an auction item or bidding in the auction when it goes live on Oct. 10.
We’ll continue to share regular updates about ALL the ways to be involved, and for now can provide this helpful info for anyone who may be curious about contributing to the auction:
In the meantime, feel free to share any questions or suggestions in the comments below!
Sorry! I’ll be out of town, in Anchorage, visiting the cutest grandkids in the state of Alaska. Have a terrific celebration!
aloha,
Barb Mayer