by Roxy Marck

Did you notice the flash mob that greeted Carl Capdeville upon his return to Orcas? It was a warm, wet greeting. Warm in that smiles warmed everyone. Wet in that water balloons were involved.

Carl is still very weak. He’s months away from returning to work. As his work is his only source of income, his fundraiser has become more important than ever.

Carl’s fundraiser started with a donation of firewood from, you guessed it, the Harveys. The day I saw the huge pile I realized that, In the coming months, the little things we take for granted are going to be a challenge for Carl. They were going to need a lot of help.

Having no idea where to start I reached out to OICF who responded so fast they must have been waiting for a call. A crash course in fund-raising for individuals later Noel Doty and I started the GoFundMe fundraiser https://gofund.me/2ed93a39. We supported the fundraiser with a CaringBridge journal site https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/carlcapdeville. We submitted our first press release and a letter to the editor. And then you folks on Orcas Island took over!

People shared Carl’s story across various social media platforms. Many of you started to hand money to Velma Doty, Juliana’s mom. Folks volunteered to do weeding, mowing, berry picking, you name it. The American Legion reached out. And Island Hardware simply blew everyone away with unparalleled generosity.

Carl continues to improve. Your generosity gives them hope. From hope springs the motivation to improve. Thanks.