Submitted by Orcas Center.

This Saturday, November 14 at 7 p.m., Orcas Center will host its fall fundraiser: A Whale of a Telethon! Online at www.OrcasCenter.org.

We count ourselves among the lucky — while many of our counterparts have had to shutter their doors completely, Orcas Center has been able to sustain minimal operations, with our staff volunteering many hours to keep the center going — making necessary building repairs and updates, securing technology to pivot to streaming events and keeping our community informed throughout the pandemic. While we have missed countless opportunities for community connection and artistic expression, we have been working hard to adapt to a new reality to bring the arts to you — through our new streaming events.

However, we are under no illusion that our financial situation will remain steady until we are able to open again. Realistically, Orcas Center most likely won’t be able to hold in-person events, classes, workshops, performances, exhibits, or just be open to the public, well into 2021! That’s at least another six to nine months from now. Think about that – we may not even be at the half-way point yet!

This is where we turn to you, our island community, with an adventurous goal: We need to raise $90,000 before the end of the year, so that when we do re-open (and have the BIGGEST. PARTY. EVER!) we are on solid financial footing to not just pick up where we left off but to move forward stronger than ever.

Join us for performances, games, history, prizes, special guests and general merriment during the Whale of a Telethon. Simply go to www.OrcasCenter.org for the livestream event, and help us preserve this vital institution. To view a trailer for the event, visit https://vimeo.com/475692072.