March 4th Writer’s Night – Fun with the Forum Fundraiser Event

The WCWF Fun with the Forum Silent Auction and Fundraiser on March 4, 2025

Our event officially starts at 6:00 p.m. at The Art Center in Grand Junction.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. so you can peruse auction items, get a beverage, enjoy a snack, and listen to guitar music.

In order to plan for our pizza and beverage purchase, we need to know you’re coming, so PLEASE RSVP above this page!

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Guitarist Jake Johnson is back!

He’ll play as we set up, during intermissions, and at the end as we hand over auction items to our wonderful supporters.

“Western Colorado native Jake Johnson has performed for a variety of audiences all across Colorado for over 17 years. A former jazz and classical musician, his influences range widely and can be heard in his style. He enjoys biking, going to movies, playing in the mountains, and traveling.”

More details…

New this year: The Typewritering Wordsmiths! It’s Poetry on Demand typed on vintage typewriters and because it’s a fundraiser, it’s $5 (we wouldn’t turn away more) per poem. They’ll start typing at 5:30 p.m. when doors open. Start thinkin’…what’s your poetry request? Any subject, but don’t be crude.

Back again: Table o’ Books – $2 for paperbacks, $3 for hardbacks. Cash appreciated.

It’s a tradition now: Pablo’s Pizza is delivering to the event once again! Every slice was gone before the end of the night last year. Plus, we’ll have beverages of course.

Schedule

5:30 p.m.  Doors open; bidding starts; music; food and beverages; Typewritering Wordsmiths

6:00 p.m.  Emcee Melody Jones: announcements and fun stuff

6:10 p.m.  Opening Poetry Reading by Peter Waldor

Peter Waldor is the author of twenty-four books of poetry, including Who Touches Everything, which won the National Jewish Book Award for poetry. He is also the author of a book of essays, Seven Quilts. His book Gate Posts With No Gate, is a poetry-art collaboration with a group of visual artists. He was the Poet Laureate of San Miguel County, Colorado for 2014-2015. His poetry has appeared widely in magazines, including the American Poetry Review, Ploughshares, The Colorado Review, Fungi Magazine, and Mothering Magazine. He lives in Ophir, Colorado.

6:25 p.m.  Intermission: bidding wars; food and beverage consumption; music; Typewritering Wordsmiths

6:35 p.m.  Special entertainment will be provided by Geek Parties of the Grand Valley, a local non-profit that hosts theatre and events in the Grand Junction area. They will perform excerpts from “The Cliffnotes of Insanity: the Princess Bride in 30 Minutes or Less,” a parody of the timeless classic, “The Princess Bride.” Expect it to be inconceivable!

7:05 p.m. Intermission: final bids, food and beverage consumption, music, Typewritering Wordsmiths

7:15 p.m.  Games and a prize with our Games Wizard Jim Van Pelt

7:25 p.m.  Emcee announces winners of bid items; winners pay by cash, check, or charge; winners skip merrily home with items in hand tra-la-la, and everybody is happy

Donations we’ve secured for your bidding pleasure with more coming:

• Something fabulous from Wendy Videlock, Western Slope Poet Laureate – details coming
• Dog grooming gift certificates from HBJ’s Grooming
• Enstrom’s Gift Basket
• Beer Gift Basket – super popular last year – who knew?
• Something from Out West Books, a great supporter of the WCWF
• A second Out West Books item – a gift bag with a gift card
• A gift basket filled with books on writing AND wine – because writing and wine…
• Two CrossStitch Kits
• Wine Basket from Peachfork
• Christmas (in March) Quilt made by a local artisan
• Gift certificate from Carboy Winery
• Membership from the Art Center
• Three charcoal drawings of various nature scenes by local artist Myles Grandbouche
• MOOORE coming!

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Why have we made this fundraiser an annual event?

YOU. You are the reason we’re pulling this together.

We’re happy to report steadily increasing attendance at Writer’s Night events, writing workshops, monthly open mics, and happy hours. We’d like to continue offering these opportunities plus expand our programming for writers on Colorado’s Western Slope, and it takes dollars to make it all happen.

The WCWF runs on grants with strict spending guidelines, donations, and sweat equity with an all-volunteer board and community members who help out. Grants tell us we can’t spend their money on room rentals or our lovely bookkeeper.

The not-sexy stuff keeps us going.

Auction proceeds go to operational expenses, including rent, bookkeeping, website maintenance, room rental for writer’s nights, marketing efforts, incidentals, and required insurance – all the stuff behind the scenes. Plus, wouldn’t it be great to have a little something in reserve for leaner times?