What follows is a compilation of the ways that neighbors and local businesses have helped the Schulte family since Monday, March 25.
We do not claim to know every story of giving surrounding the days and weeks after the tragedy, but this post is our attempt to list as many as we can.
If we’ve left anything out, feel free to leave your stories of kindnesses and thanks in the comments below.
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During the last week of March, in the first days after the tragedy, local businesses stepped in and donated food to the family:
- Grateful Bread (7001 35th Ave NE) donated sandwiches, salads and soup on March 28.
- Eat Local (nearest location at 503 Broadway E on Capitol Hill) donated six meals to the family on March 28.
- When we found out that Karina’s birthday was on March 28 (mentioned by Schulte family friend Adrienne Bergman on one of the medical fundraiser sites for the family), we contacted Trophy Cupcakes (Northeast Seattle location in University Village). They graciously and swiftly donated a dozen cupcakes, which we were able to get to the family at Harborview Medical Center that day.
- Cafe Javasti (8617 35th Ave NE in Wedgwood and 8410 5th Ave NE in Maple Leaf) donated pastries and coffee for breakfast on March 29.
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After the first few days of meals were covered by local businesses, Wedgwood resident Jess Creach set up a site for the Schultes at Take Them a Meal. People interested in helping the family with food can sign up for a specific date and meal (lunch, snack, dinner), which can be delivered in advance to the Sand Point Community United Methodist Church for pick up.
At the time of this writing, the meal calendar for the Schultes was full through April 27. So far, 61 different people have signed up.
You can still sign up, too, if you’d like.
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By the time we contacted the manager of Sand Point Metropolitan Market (5250 40th Ave NE), Mark Marsh, on Thursday, March 28, his store had already contributed flowers to the memorial site and food for after the prayer vigil.
On Friday, March 29, his store began taking donations at their checkstands from community members. Marsh told us on the morning of Friday, April 6 that the total amount donated by community members at their checkout stands so far is $7,434.00. This total does not yet include the $1,000 that Metropolitan Market will also be donating on top of that.
With the hope of reaching $10,000, the store will continue taking donations at the registers for one more week, until Friday, April 12.
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Thank you to Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, Car Free Days, Eckstein Bikes, the Wedgwood Community Council, the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, and anyone else who helped organize the Memorial Walk on Monday, April 1.
Thank you to the Seattle Police Department for closing off roads and providing an escort during the walk. And thank you, Mayor Michael McGinn, for attending.
Thank you to the Wedgwood Top Pot Doughnuts location for supplying participants of the Memorial Walk with doughnuts and coffee. And thank you for the use of your property as a gathering, starting, and ending point for that walk.
Furthermore, Top Pot, thank you for walking, too.
Wedgwood Top Pot manager Jennifer Surbaugh and one of the owners of Top Pot, Mark Klebeck, on the walk.
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Other local fundraising:
- The Wedgwood Safeway (7340 35th Avenue NE) donated a gift card for $100 on March 28. Also, thanks to Bridgette in the floral department for donating buckets and food for flowers left at the memorial site.
- The employees at the Wedgwood QFC (8400 35th Ave NE) made a donation to one of the funds for the family set up at the Wedgwood branch of HomeStreet Bank on March 28.
- The Van Gogh Coffeehouse (8210 35th Ave NE) donated all their tips from Friday, March 29 and Saturday, March 30, for a total of $786.48.
- Cooper’s Alehouse (8065 Lake City Way NE) set aside 25% of their sales on Wednesday, April 3 for the Schulte family medical fund, and donated over $500.
- Thank you to the (as of the publishing of this post) 989 people who donated $59,492 to the medical fund for Karina and Baby Elias that friends of the family Adrienne and Brett Bergman set up.
- Thank you to the people who have contributed to both the Karina & Elias Ulriksen-Schulte Medical Fund (currently at $7665.00) and the Dennis & Judy Schulte Memorial Fund (currently at $645.00). These funds were set up at the Wedgwood Branch of HomeStreet Bank by Per Johnson, President of the Wedgwood Community Council, after we learned the names of the victims.
UPDATE (11:12 AM): We’ve been told by Per Johnson that the online amounts for the funds at HomeStreet Bank are only the online totals. “There have been a ton of people who have donated in-person to the tune of $5000,” Johnson says.
We’d also like to thank the staff of the Wedgwood Branch of HomeStreet Bank for all of their assistance.
UPDATE (1:38 PM): We’ve learned that the Wedgwood Drama Studio also donated money to the Schulte family. You can read about the studio’s mission here.
Police closed down 35th Ave NE for the annual Spring Bike to Bryant Elementary ride. Photo by Car Free Days (carfreedays.com), used with permission.
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Thank you to National Barricade (6518 Ravenna Ave NE) for donating use of some of your street signs (a pair of SLOW DOWN and yellow pedestrian signs) at both the east and west ends of NE 75th Street (at approximately 27th and 34th Avenues NE).
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Thank you also to the staff of the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, the respective board members of the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association and Wedgwood Community Council, and Jenny Frankl with the Department of Neighborhoods for help making the meeting happen.
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Thank you to the two women on 33rd Avenue NE who, very late on the night of Tuesday, March 26, worked together to scrub NE 75th Street clean with soap and water, and their own loving hands.
Thank you to the three neighbors on 33rd Avenue NE who made the two white crosses for Judy and Dennis Schulte at the memorial site, added on Friday, March 29.
Thank you to the sixth grade class in one of Seattle’s middle schools who wrote a card for the family.
Thank you to Lacia Lynne Bailey for taking on the role of caretaker for the memorial on the corner of 33rd Avenue NE and NE 75th Street. Thank you for respecting every last flower petal, slip of paper, and stuffed animal left at the site, in honor of the victims.
Blow drying wet bear before gets bag rain gear & back to growing memorial for #DUIseattle tragedy http://t.co/3JySngOTrH
— Lacia Lynne Bailey (@GoatGuild) March 28, 2013
Thank you to Judy’s Truffle, for being such a comforting (and fuzzy) presence at the memorial site, hugged and cried upon by countless people.
Sweet little Truffle seems to be bringing love to #DUIseattle memorial site while I clean it up a bit http://t.co/WIgrJq2Y8j
— Lacia Lynne Bailey (@GoatGuild) March 28, 2013
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And finally, some thank-yous from the Schulte family, conveyed through Lisa Schulte (wife of Mike Schulte, a cousin of Dan).
Here are some thank you’s the family would like mentioned locally!!
Addy and Brett Bergman (set up the donation site)
Pastor Cathy and Sand Point Community United Methodist Church
The awesome neighbors and dear friends of the family including Daniel and Jennifer, Trevor, Felipe and Indre
Seattle Fire Department and EMTs
Seattle Neighborhood Greenways walk coordinator
EMI
Wedgwood/Ravenna Community, Jess Creach, Per Johnson (Wedgwood Community Council) & Rebecca Nelson (Ravenna Blog)
Harborview doctors and nurses
Seattle Children’s Hospital (Karina’s work)
Colehour and Cohen (Dan’s work)
Sand Point Metropolitan Market
All the incredible people who have donated time, money, food etc.
Lisa has acted as the main point of contact with the family during the last two weeks, and we (and other community members and organizations) are very, very thankful for her and the role she has played.
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More on this story on Ravenna Blog:
Memorial service in Indiana for Judy and Dennis Schulte (last updated on Thursday, April 11)
Arraignment of NE 75th Street DUI homicides suspect on Thursday (last updated on Thursday, April 11)
Hundreds walk to remember, honor the Schulte family (PHOTOS) (last updated on Monday, April 1)
Prayer Vigil for mother and child this Thursday night (PHOTOS) (last updated on Friday, March 29)
Memorial to the family at NE 75th St grows (PHOTOS) (last updated on Sunday, March 31)
Memorial and medical funds set up for victims of Monday’s traffic tragedy (last updated on Thursday, March 28)
Suspect in Monday’s traffic fatalities no stranger to DUIs (last updated on Sunday, March 31)
Multiple casualty incident on NE 75th St near Eckstein Middle School (PHOTOS) (last updated on Wednesday, March 27)
As a new member of the neighborhood and Seattle its very heartwarming to see the community support to help the Schulte family.
Phenomenal. Thanks for providing this update.
Neighbors Missy & Erin rallied to get food to Dan & family asap at the hospital before bigger things got organized in the later days. Neighbor Daniel has been a real hero, a spanish speaking link with Karina’s family in Chile. Neighbors Deirdre, and Diane, have contributed in significant moments in very quiet ways. Holly from Federal Way got buckets and floral food from Wedgwood Safeway who should be thanked. My friend Judith brought lots more buckets before busy warm weekend at the memorial site. So many neighbors and friends have done meaningful bits, I’m at loss to name them all… Did the cross making neighbors ask you not to use names? I can see they might, so I won’t say for now.
I only know two of the three cross-makers’ names, so I left them all off. And, having met them, I’d say they’re okay with their quiet, solemn contribution. (If not, they know where to find me.)
And thank you, Lacia, for filling in some gaps. AND for everything that YOU (and Judy’s Truffle) have done, for the neighborhood and for the Schulte family.
What a wonderful post and big bear hug for the community. However, from a journalistic perspective, this post is woefully incomplete. I would like to point out that a HUGE thank you needs to be given to the extraordinary professional and personal work over the last 2 weeks by Rebecca at the Ravenna Blog. It’s tragic events like this where quality hyperlocal news shows its value and provides the tact and sensitivity that other media working off deadlines aren’t able to provide. I can’t speak for the family, but I would expect the Schulte family would be very appreciative of the work that you’ve done over these past couple weeks. Kudos, Rebecca.
I’m only as good as my sources, Per. You for the WCC, Sarah Swanberg representing the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, and lots of others in our neighborhoods kept me in the loop. I’ve got lots of bylines to hand out on this one.
Thank you.
The Schulte family is extremely appreciative! We are so thankful for all the efforts. It is humbling and encouraging to see so many work on behalf of us! I look forward to meeting many of you in the future.