Gabe’s Ride to Recovery Party=Success!

When people give me compliments on the wicked excellent party that was thrown on my brother’s behalf last Friday (Oct. 2) at Paddy Murphy’s in Downtown Bangor, I try to be modest and say that it’s super easy to hold a really fun benefit party for someone as awesome as Gabe. He’s certainly been (in)famous for his party-hosting skills before, and I think it’s a trait that runs in the family.

A few of us core planner folks arrived early and began setting up our space with balloons and setting out dozens of home-baked cupcakes and cookies. Sheridan was the camera woman–she had a video camera set up in the back “library” room to catch short messages to compile for Gabe to see someday soon. Our DJ friends Brendan, Beth, and Kristian arrived to set up their equipment. Lindsey and Kiernan artfully arranged the giant selection of door prizes near the DJ booth. Clementina set to work frosting her super-gourmet cupcakes in the back room. A guest book was set up near the video camera as well, and a photo of Gabe rested in between some of the ridiculous sock puppets that were made a few weeks ago to eventually bring to him when he is in rehab. Larry, Allison, and Marcie helped me figure out the best procedure to use when folks started coming in. We set up raffle tickets for purchase, door prize tickets to rip, and tried to figure out how to handle donations that were sure to pile up. A giant basket of handmade buttons with Gabe’s picture went right by the door as well as were a big hit with party atendees.

Drink specials went up on the board: “Maddfajita Margarita”  and “Allen’s Allen’s Coffee Brandy Coffee”, a concoction that Gabe is really proud of, originally invented for snowshoeing. For those of you not in Maine, Allen’s Coffee Brandy is the most popular booze sold in the state. It’s like a lower cost version of Kahlua and usually means a party. I am sure the AACBC went wonderfully with the bazillion cupcakes that kept marching through the door. Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, chocolate Guinness cupcakes, yellow ones with coffee buttercream, s’mores cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, Moxie cupcakes. Also cookies and chocolate candies. The sugary treats filled one large table and then overflowed to another smaller one next to it. At first, people seemed almost intimidated by how many there were, but then we put out take-out containers so that they could be brought home too. At the end of the night we had just a few ones left to take with us, which was just fine.

The DJs set a good stage and folks kept milling about. It was a great mix of people–old family friends I hadn’t seen in years, high school and UMaine connections, and current friends. Throughout the night, we had over 160 people. We stopped the music periodically to toast Gabe, send other messages of thanks and hope, and to draw door prizes.  We talked, drank, ate too many cupcakes, and saw old friends. We danced and shared stories and included Gabe in our thoughts all night. We left silly and sentimental video messages for him and joked about his previous parties on Penobscot St. We had so much fun and generous amounts of money were raised for Gabe.

Thank you so much to everyone who baked, set up, staffed the tables and video areas, organized cupcakes, danced, drank, laughed, donated, and had a great time for Gabe, who could not be there!

And many thanks to Paddy Murphy’s, who donated the upstairs bar rental for the party.

Thanks to the local businesses who donated door prizes: The Rock & Art Shop, The Grasshopper Shop, Winterport Winery, Giacomo’s, Bagel Central, Metropolitan Soul, Penobscot Theatre, Winterport Boot Shop, Valcourt Designs, Pat’s Bike Shop, Howling Threads Studio, Roxanne Munksgaard, Marcie Noyes, State St. Brewer Dunkin’ Donuts, Dysart’s.

xoxo