A DAY FOR CHASE

Overseas holds fundraiser for injured diver

Marathon has rallied to help one of its own, Chase Grimes, who was injured in a dive accident at the beginning of July. He suffered a scary bout of decompression sickness and spent weeks in a mainland hospital. Last week he made it home to Marathon.

“I’m doing okay, moving around pretty good,” Grimes said. “There’s still some numbness.”

On Friday, July 24, his friends are throwing another fundraiser at Overseas Lounge. The party starts at 6 p.m. with music from Brian Roberts, and the raffle drawings will be at 6:30 p.m.

“We’re calling it the first annual Chase Grimes Day,” said Andy Sharf, a friend of Grimes and bartender at Overseas. The staff intends to continue the tradition year after year, selecting a new beneficiary. Sharf said: “You may not be able to change the world, you may not be able to change the world for one person, but let’s get drunk and try.”

Patrons will be able to purchase one-of-a-kind Chase koozies, similar in design to the 100 T-shirts that sold out in 24 hours, designed by Ryan Schraffenberger of Promotions Guy. One hundred percent of the proceeds go toward Grimes’ medical bills. 

There’s also a silent auction and a raffle. The big-ticket items are cool vacations: a 5-day, 4-night stay in a beautiful home in the Bahamas; a 4-day stay in Yellowstone National Park; and a 2-day stay at Grassy Flats Resort. There’s other fun, too, like bidding on local charters. 

Perhaps the evening’s entertainment will have a big reveal along the lines of “Did he? Or didn’t he?”

We are speaking, of course, of whether or not Grimes’ friend, Cheddar Geitz, followed through on his promise to get a tattoo on his “lower back” should they be able to raise $5,000. In some circles, this is known as a “tramp stamp,” but Geitz insists it’s heretoforewithbeknown (sic) as a “champ stamp.”

“Well, we more than doubled that, raising $11,000,” said Sharf. 

Because Sharf announced the tattoo fundraiser, and the duo raised twice the money, there is some confusion about the outcome. Because it was Sharf’s challenge, did he get the tattoo? Because they raised twice the amount, will both get a tattoo? Can we see it? Is there video of the inking?  

“Maybe the tattoo is in glow-in-the-dark ink,” Grimes suggested. 

Bring your blacklights to Overseas Lounge on Friday, July 24.  

Sara Matthis thinks community journalism is important, but not serious; likes weird and wonderful children (she has two); and occasionally tortures herself with sprint-distance triathlons, but only if she has a good chance of beating her sister.