FREELAND – It won’t be Milan or even Edinburgh, but South Enders will get to see the latest in kilt fashion trends during an upcoming fundraiser event.
The “Men in Kilts” event will also include the musical entertainment of Whidbey’s own Beverly Graham and a comedy performance by Rod Long, a Seattle comedian, photographer and journalist. There will be a silent auction.
Greenbank Farm, along with Spring Roehm, will host the benefit on May 17 to help raise money for Maureen and Angus MacDonald, owners of the Tartan Thistle and hosts of the Whidbey Island Highland Games.
It’s been nearly a year since the MacDonalds, of Freeland, lost a home and inventory, worth more than $250,000, to a suspicious fire causing it to become one of the most costly fires in a string of at least eight fires across the South End beginning last May.
The fires included burned-out portable bathrooms, bales of plastic and sheds from Freeland to Clinton. No suspects were ever identified and the crimes remain unsolved.
The MacDonalds had used the house to store their Highland Games stock and display items, and it was all lost. Fire investigators later surmised that the fire had been started outside by the garage and quickly spread throughout the home.
“Things literally disintegrated; it was that hot inside the house,” said Maureen MacDonald.
“The house, being made of concrete blocks, was like a wood-burning stove. The only thing recognizable of a dishwater was the motor,” she added. “Everything else was puddles of plastic or metal.”
But what made a bad situation worse for the couple was discovering that after the fire had been put out, people had taken the small number of firefighter-salvaged items, such as hand dollies. And then, they were told they did not have insurance coverage for the house or its contents.
Shortly after that, the MacDonalds hired an attorney who had told them they did have adequate coverage for their loss. They have since filed a lawsuit to dispute the insurance company’s position with the hope of getting their damage claim resolved, MacDonald said.
And as the case becomes more and more likely to extend for years, the business has taken a financial hit, she said.
“Twenty-five percent of the Tartan Thistle went up in flames,” she said.
MacDonald estimated they have lost nearly $400,000. The figure includes future income from sales and other highland games, as well as $250,000 for the lost house and inventory.
MacDonald has had to make some personal sacrifices as well.
“I’ve had to step down from being president of the Whidbey Island Highland Games to deal with the court issues,” MacDonald said.
“We’ve had to cancel attendance at other highland games to run our family and to get back on our feet. This fundraiser will allow us to rebuild and we need to rebuild immediately,” she said.
The fire not only hurt the Tartan Thistle but others, as well. A construction company had been set to lease the house on June 1, 2007, and has been unable to operate without an office.
“This fundraiser benefits the Tartan Thistle because, with the money raised, we’ll be able to build or replace inventory and rebuild our house,” she said.
And the sooner the MacDonalds get any kind of house built, the sooner RACO Construction will have a permanent home.
The “Men in Kilts” fundraiser grew its roots from people asking questions about how to help, MacDonald said.
When Roehm, a Freeland business owner and friend to the MacDonalds, and Graham heard about the insurance issues and the couple’s inability to rebuild the house, they leapt into action.
“When you run into people like Spring, it gives you renewed faith in humanity. There is nothing in this for Spring,” MacDonald said. “She is doing this for us and Spring is an angel put here for us. She is such an amazing person.”
A successful fundraiser would mean getting enough money to rebuild the house. If they can swing at least $20,000 from the fundraiser, they will be able to repair the damaged foundation and construct an insulated steel building, suitable for office space for the construction company, she said.
The MacDonalds opened the Tartan Thistle in 1995 as an Internet sales company, and a year later, moved to Whidbey Island where they opened a storefront in Freeland.
In that time, they had become well-known in bagpiping and Highland dancing circles all around the West Coast, Angus MacDonald said.
“It is a labor of love, being self-employed. The location is perfect and we are it for the West Coast. We are the largest bagpipe dealer in the United States and on Whidbey Island,” he said. “It was a hobby that turned into a business. It is easier to work for yourself than for someone else.”
By 1999 there was enough interest in bagpiping and other aspects of Scottish culture, so the MacDonalds decided to try their own version of the Highland Games.
“This is our 10th year. The Highland Games were a natural progression,” he said. “It was so much fun for the public, overwhelming. It is well-attended and a really big venue for Greenbank Farm. Last year, we had between 3,200 and 3,500 people come through the gate.”
The “Men in Kilts” benefit is an opportunity to help The Tartan Thistle rebuild, said Rod Long, who will offer his comedy insight during the fundraiser.
Laughter is a large part of healing, he said.
“Comedy is like art and photography – it’s perspective,” Long said. “I don’t think there is a better time we need to laugh than we do right now. So that is when people like me come in. We take what is heinous and make it hilarious.”
The benefit is 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 17 at the Greenbank Farm. There will be a $20 admission donation. For information or tickets, call 331-4688.
