In spite of the weird year it has been, we still have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I want to express gratitude for all of those who continue to support SEEK, support that’s been especially meaningful in 2020 as we all struggle with the challenges the year has brought.
Here’s why I’m especially grateful this Thanksgiving.
SEEK’s Fundraiser Auction
We are in the midst of pivoting (candidate for word of the year!) to an online fundraising event in lieu of our annual Kirby Jam party. It’s been challenging and exciting, but mostly, I can hardly articulate how grateful I am to all the people who are helping to make this event possible.
We have had so many people donate their time and resources to help put together an incredible online auction. I’m so excited to be able to offer fun experiences that may otherwise be out of reach for many of us, as well as beautiful crafts, artwork, accessories, and other fun items. This auction is a catalogue of the talent and generosity of those who’ve continued to stand with SEEK throughout the years. We are a small organization, and these events just don’t happen without this kind of support!
Here’s a sample of some of the offerings in this year’s auction. Bidding is open until December 6th. Consider doing some holiday shopping or supporting us this Giving Tuesday by taking part in our auction!
December 4th Livestream Event
I am also excited for our upcoming livestream event on Dec. 4th. This won’t be quite like past Kirby Jams, but it’s going to be an interesting evening full of information. You’ll get the SEEK scoop from Board Members, and we will also be chatting with our special guest, Matt Stroud, the creator and host of the GURU podcast. We’ll be looking back on 2020, which, despite the strangeness, was a serendipitous year for us in many ways. And we’ll look ahead to 2021: find out our theme for the year and hear about some exciting SEEK plans. It promises to be a year of new experiences for all of us!
In addition to tuning in with us on December 4th at 7pm ET, there are other ways for you to join the party:
- Keep on eye on our Facebook page for pre-party questions to be eligible to win prizes
- Answer questions during the event to win prizes
- Offer some song suggestions for our YouTube Kirby Playlist
- Grab a bottle (or two) of our featured wine to join our special wine tasting and toast
- Share pictures of your celebration with everyone else who’s joining in
To join the party, tune in on Friday, December 4th at 7pm ET on Facebook or YouTube and watch our live stream.
We are so grateful to our sponsors who help make this event possible: Stanley Goldstein, Tipping Point Advisors, Mediacom, Jeanette Reid, Orange County Automotive.
“This Sweet Life”
Another point of gratitude for SEEK is all the support we have received as we released our memoir, “This Sweet Life: how we lived after Kirby died.” Writing this book was a true mission for my mom and me. It was painful, cathartic, and necessary. Kirby’s life, and death, deserved documenting. We are humbled by the reception to our book. Our publisher, Cheryl Benton of The Three Tomatoes, has been so supportive and enthusiastic. And the amount of people who’ve bought the book, written reviews, given us feedback, and passed our story along to others… we just cannot express enough gratitude for all of this support.
Thanksgiving Thoughts
As we try to stay safe and protect our loved ones this year, maybe the quieter celebration will give us all more space for reflection. While it’s been a challenging, sad, frustrating year for many of us in so many ways, I hope everyone is able to focus, at least for this day, on the blessings we have and let those fill us up.
Thank you!
Jean