Seattle comic Rod Long, singer Beverly Graham in Men In Kilts Event

An Evening of Music, Comedy and More Fun Than
Men Wearing Skirts Should Have!

A Community Fundraiser for the the Macdonald Family
and the Tartan Thistle

On May 17th come enjoy an evening with a "Men in Kilts"  fashion show. Beverly Graham, a popular folk/rock singer from Whidbey Island, will perform and emcee at the May 17th fundraiser. The event includes stand-up comedy by Rod Long, a beloved Northwest comedy headliner who has performed internationally and counts the Seattle Seahawks and Make a Wish Foundation among his clients. A silent auction will complete the festive event.

Tartan Thistle owners Maureen and Angus Macdonald never dreamed they would find a host of friends helping them in a time of great need. But friends are banding together to raise money in the wake of a devastating fire that destroyed a building and inventory of the Macdonald's family nationally renowned business, which sells bagpipes, drums and Scottish kilts as well as hosting the annual Highland Games held each year at Greenbank Farm.

Tickets are $20 and available through the Tartan Thistle. Phone: 360 331-4688 or email: bagpipes@tartanthistle.com. the event will be from 4-8pm at Greenbank farm: 765 Wonn Road, corner of State Route 525 and Wonn Road Greenbank, WA98253.

Additional Background Material:

Graham, the founding executive director of Operation Sack Lunch, said when she first heard of the Macdonald's plight,swhe thought, "Well, at least they have insurance to cover their losses." When she learned that the Macdonald's property insurance company was balking at paying for the loss of the structure, their Tartan Thistle mail order inventory along with equipment they used for their Highland Games, Graham thought she could step in and help. "We (as a community) are often sending money to other places to help people, like the fire victims in Califronia," Graham said." I wanted to help someone right here on Whidbey Island."

What set  the Macdonald's  woes in motion was begun by a bizarre string of arson fires set along the South Island may and early June.

In the early hours of May 30th their Cameron road structure in Freeland, warehousing much of the inventory for the Tartan Thistle was torched, burning most of the material inside.  A 10,000 reward is being offered by the island County Sheriff's Department that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the suspected arson of this and seven other fires that caused property damage between may 2 and June 1, 2007.

During the blaze, firefighters rescued the salvageable material and set it outside the charred remains of the structure. The items were lifted by passer-bys thinking the stuff was free for the taking. To add to their shock at losing a quarter of their inventory, the Macdonald's insurance carrier denied their claim for damages, even though they had been paying the premium.

The beleagured family has since hired an attorney who is waging a long battle to win compensation for the family's loss. It could be three years, though, before they see any reimbursement, if the case were to go to trial. The Macdonald's cannot wait that long to get on with their life and their life and their business and that is where their friends have stepped up to the plate.

The family's plight was brought to light by Spring Roehm, who many know as the energetic and well-connected freeland hairstylist, who is friends with the Macdonalds and has been a tireless proponent in enlisting help from the community and nearly every one else on her cell phone speed dial.

"If Spring hadn't launched this [fundraiser], people wouldn't know about us," Maureen said. "That's how we're finding out we belong to this community."

Maureen macdonald said she and Angus are so buried in having to keep up with the pending lawsuit, along with their mail order business, their additioanl U-haul rental business, and being parents to their two grade school sons, that running of the Highland Games this year will be handled by the Whidbey Island Celtic Society.

Volunteers are invited to help with the May 17th fundraiser. For more information, visit the Tartan Thistle website at: www.tartanthistle.com.