CMarie's Birthday Fundraiser

Dear Friends and Loves,

I hope you are enjoying a beautiful season with books, words, art, and love. And with anticipation for the coming year and appreciation for the year almost behind us.

Andrea, Marc, Stephen and I find ourselves, once again, so grateful. Elk River Writers Workshop brought together some of the finest faculty in the nation to work with over 50 incredible, kind, and talented students. We supported fourteen of these writers with scholarships totaling just over $24,000, making for one of the most diverse cohorts yet: diverse in age, demographic, heritage, ethnicity, educational background, and writing. We had incredible group discussions, transformative classes, amazing evening readings from faculty and students, and, once again, watched a week at Chico change the lives of many writers.

Much of this is thanks to the generous donations we get through our fundraising efforts, which is why I am writing to you today.

In the past, our major fundraising event happened on the final evening of the August workshop. The Gala auction was successful and anticipated, but we realized that it didn’t fit our ethos of creating a welcoming space for students. We want the final evening to celebrate their successes, writing, and a way to say farewell until next year.

This year, we have combined my birthday fundraiser, which supports scholarships for two Native students, with an overall fundraising drive. I will be seeking support through the Seven Days of CMarie, December 26th, 2024 to January 1, 2025 (my birthday!).

I am so grateful to you for reading this. For knowing you. And for all you do to support writing, arts, and writing artists in our community.

Kindly, CMarie

Director, Elk River Writers Workshop