Tonight a bit of six degrees of Kevin Bacon will come to Capitol Hill during the second annual Footlaos.
Named after Footloose, the event is a fundraiser for Ban Mouange Elementary School in Laos and it combines the classic 1980s flick with the compassion of Seattle’s music community. The goal of the show, which is the brainchild of Visqueen leader Rachel Flotard and her friend Justin Nonthaveth, is to raise enough money to build walls for the school that houses 370 students.
The origins of Footloas stem from a trip Flotard took to Laos with Nonthaveth, whose family lives in Laos, after the death of her father in 2008.
“He spoke about the village where they live in southern Laos, and what a difficult yet beautiful life they lead. I wanted to stretch myself, and step out of my comfort zone at a time where my world was already upside down. The experience completely righted me,” said Flotard.
While in Laos Flotard visited a local elementary school in Ban Na Mouang village and brought supplies such as pens and pencils and medical supplies to the school and children. It reinvigorated her after dealing with the loss of her father.
“I visited them six months or so after my dad died. They do not speak English and I do not speak Laotian but I was crying when I left. I did not want to leave. I was moved by how little you can have physically and how much you can have in love with your family,” she said. “I needed a wakeup call after (my father’s) death and this totally reinvigorated me. That trip, plus my father, kickstarted my life again.”
Her visit to the village and school was such a positive experience that she made plans to return in 2009. She asked the children what they wanted her to bring them back from the U.S an initially they requested soccer balls. She asked them to think bigger than soccer balls and the children responded by asking for a paved floor for their school, which at the time had dirt floors, and the idea for Footloas was born.
The first Footlaos took place last year and it was in the form of a dance party with DJs playing 80s music. Enough money was raised to pay for a floor as well as medical and school supplies for the children. Because it was a grassroots effort and no third parties were involved Flotard was able to make sure all of the money went directly to the school.
“We had sent along the money to Justin’s family, who organized the construction. Without them, this would be impossible. Because of the weather and timing, the floor had to be installed before we got there which was amazing, because we could see the project finished,” Flotard said. “It was incredible. And we hand delivered it. It didn’t have to pass through uncertain hands. I saw those kids get a floor, the year before it was dirt. And we did that on our own.”
Flotard said on her return trip to the school last year the children asked for walls. She cannot make the trip to Laos this year but Nonthaveth will return on Dec. 23 and deliver all of the money raised from tonight’s event so it can be used for medical and school supplies as well as construction of walls for the school.
For this year’s Footlaos several local musicians from various bands including Curtains for You, Hallways and Loaded, will perform covers of ‘80s songs as well as selections from the Footloose soundtrack at the Comet Tavern. At the same time down the street a dance party will be happening at Soul Repair where DJs will spin cuts from the ‘80s. There will also be bacon-themed appetizers provided by Tom Douglas restaurants as a tongue-in-cheek nod to Footloose star Kevin Bacon. Musicians performing at Footlaos include: Airport, Robert Roth (Truly), Michael Lee (Mal De Mer), Lesli Wood (The Redwood Plan), Kimo Muraki (Surrealized/Hallways), Matty and Mikey Gervais (Curtains For You), Brian Naubert (Ruston Mire), Mike Squires (Duff McKagan’s Loaded) and Rachel Flotard (Visqueen)
You can read more about Foltard’s visits to Laos and Ban Mouange Elementary school on her blog. If you are interested in donating but cannot make it to Footloas a PayPal account has been set up at footlaos2010@gmail.com All donations go directly to Ban Mouange Elementary School in Laos and to providing supplies to the school’s teachers and students.
If you go: Footlaos 2 begins at 8 p.m. at the Comet Tavern, 922 East Pike St., and at Sole Repair, 1001 East Pike St. A $10 cover gets you access to both venues.
