Long Beach loves Wes

by Roger Howard · 2018-12-30

When we left Long Beach almost a year ago we knew we were moving away from a huge extended family – Stephanie, in particular, had built so many enduring friendships across the city thanks to her amazing little wine bar, Art Du Vin, which we also had to leave behind. ADV was a second home to us as well as so many of our dear friends, a playroom for Wes in his first year, it was where we first dated and later were engaged.

Less than a year later we are hunkered down 3000 miles away, living the most challenging time of our lives, and our amazing friends back in SoCal have blown us away by showing we not only haven’t been forgotten, but that we haven’t really left in so many ways.

Our dear friends Hannah, Alex and Juniper made buttons for Team Wes and raised money on their own initiative, and separately Kerstin, Debbie, Byron, Giselle, and countless others organized a fundraiser at the Art Theater and Art Du Vin on behalf of Wes and us, raising thousands of dollars in direct donations and in proceeds from a silent auction. Longtime wine suppliers, local businesses, and individuals contributed goods and services for the auction, and the wine bar donated sales during the event to Wes. It’s really impossible to say how much this means to us. The financial support is, of course, incredibly helpful and generous, but the moral and spiritual support this offers is priceless and something we’ll never forget. We’re not alone in this fight, and that night was a powerful reminder of just how many people are affected by Wes’ condition.

It’s a humbling experience, and one which we will spend the rest of our lives attempting to pay forward. Thank you to the team at ADV, at the Art Theater, to Giselle and Debbie and everyone else across the great community of Long Beach who helped make this happen.