I guess it was oke to OAK here after all.
TL;DR, after recouping theater rental costs, we raised $900 for the San Francisco Earthquakes!
I spent the day after I Don’t Think You’re Supposed to OAK Here processing the drop from event planning to event execution to event aftermath in as mellow and level-setting a way as possible: I slept in, went to dim sum with my partner, bought groceries, laid around reading fan fiction* with my dog (he prefers fluff over angst), watched Josie and the Pussycats, read some more fic**, and wrote some stuff down.
Today I am back at work and I can’t believe it’s over. Fuck, I can’t believe it happened. I’m in the creative equivalent of a sub drop, so I’m here trying to gratitude journal my way though it.
A thousand thanks to my thoughtful, creative, energetic helpers, most of whom also donated prizes: Beth, Char, Samantha, Jo, Amy, Anna, and Ashley. Thanks to the Quakes for showing up, donating prizes, and being so much fun, and to prize donors Gay, Melissa, and Eat n Rivalry. And of course to everyone who came through, donated, dressed up, played trivia, spread the word, and otherwise made Saturday so damn special.
Volunteers and SF Earthquakes!
I first reached out to the New Parkway Theater in March, when I was still learning to live with the chokehold Heated Rivalry had on me, trying to get my arms and brains around how to be productive within the madness, how to participate, how to make a difference or a dent or contribute something. I saw screenings happening throughout the world; I have been going to the New Parkway for years (and to the O.G. Parkway for years before that) so it seemed perfect. I knew I wouldn’t have the bandwidth to do it until Fall, and they weren’t accepting private event requests that far in advance.
So I went about my life, setting a calendar reminder, doing my job and living my life and trying to feed the fanatical beast snarling inside me so it wouldn’t turn on its host and eat me. I wrote about it. Talked about it. Read about it. Danced about it. Wrote about it some more. Went to events. Made friends. Evangelized among my existing friends, siring more loons and shaking out the ones that already existed in my social circle. Wrote some more. Read some more. Relearned audio recording and editing. Got a tattoo. Read, read, read, wrote, read.
And then it was July. Some folks I was hoping to work with got understandably shy about doing something that skirted legality. Another potential partner didn’t think we could get enough people in the door to make our money back without traditional advertising.
Fortunately, I know a little bit about DIY marketing. I also know badass event professionals. And I’ve been selling philanthropy in one way or another for the bulk of this century so far.
Also, telling me I can’t do something is often exactly what I need to actually do it. But the Parkway gave me a date. Jo gave me a contact for the San Francisco Earthquakes. And we were off.
This party was what I wanted it to be — it was a little bit organized, a little bit chaotic, a lot of fun, and extremely Oakland. Friends of mine from all walks of social life (writing, theater, the music scene, union stuff, Discord, Threads, pandemic pod life) came through, won raffle prizes,dressed in costume, and, of course, yelled and screamed and cried at the screen together. (as a Rocky Horror fan, this was like 75% of the reason I really wanted to do it.) I got to make a slide deck and a playlist, meet so many awesome new people from the Quakes and beyond — including my first tHRiend, who I met in real life for the very first time — and got to yell into a mic while holding papers (my natural state, I think). And I went home with fandom and hockey swag and a refreshed appreciation for the diversity of experiences within this adoring community.
In the end, we raised nearly a grand for the San Francisco Earthquakes LGBTQ+ inclusive ice hockey club, welcomed new people to the joy of the New Parkway, and, hopefully, facilitated some joyful new connections. (SOUND ON BELOW.)
* Mr. Landlord, Mr. Real Estate
* Rum & Coke
