Healing Arts Center Holds Fair & “Raise the Roof” Raffle

Christopher Evans, a licensed massage therapist at the Healing Arts Center

Raffle prize a “bonanza” package of healing therapies

Once again this weekend, Oct. 23-24, the Healing Arts Center, housed in the historic yellow farmhouse on North Beach in “downtown” Eastsound, is offering islanders the chance to be good to ourselves, to the Center’s practitioners and to the beloved Healing Arts building itself.

During the Healing Arts Fair, held in the fall and again in the spring, the Center  offers a discounted rate for appointments, so that people can try out the various services offered by its 20 member-practitioners.

• Be good to yourself, with a healing practice, be it massage, life coaching, herbal body wrap or acupuncture at half-price appointments.

• Be good to the practitioners, who are donating their appointment fees from the Fair entirely to the registered non-profit organization.

• Be good to the venerable Healing Arts Center, “a place to rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit,” as the organization’s literature says. The funds raised at the Fairs support the historic building and allow practitioners to keep their rates as low as possible throughout the year.

Sessions are still available, and appointments can be made by calling 276-4002, or stopping by at 453 North Beach Road between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Rates are $45/hour, and some services are offered by the half-hour at $25. More information about the services offered can be seen at www.healingartsonline.com .

The Healing Arts Center (HAC) is sustained almost exclusively by the practitioners’ membership fees, which are set at $25 for an associate membership, and $60 a month for professional membership. In addition, members pay a portion of their hourly fee to the Center.

Member Christopher Evans, who is a massage therapist at the Healing Arts Center, says, “The most powerful and humbling thing in massage as a career is to feel firsthand that everyone is in pain; we’re not alone. And identifying that brings some comfort.

“We are trained to ‘tough it out’ when we’re in pain. We think it’s abnormal or self-indulgent to receive this type of work. But there have always been healers in every community: people identify the Healing Arts Center as that type of place.

“Yes we have pain, and yes, it’s okay.”

Compared to the “healing scene” nationally, the Healing Arts Center sees more diverse population than might be expected, Evans says. The Center’s clients come from all ages, political persuasions, genders and professions; and many practitioners offer a sliding scale.

Ian Van Gelder and MaryJo Ahern, long-time members of the Healing Arts Center, behind the jade tree, older than the Center itself, founded in 1988 by Marlene Dickey and Sandy Sanders.

People come into the Center and immediately respond to the calm and restorative feeling of the reception area, with its comfortable seating, warm and natural light and the abundant jade tree, older than most of the Center’s visitors.  They self-correct and modify their voices and their presence, recognizing the public area as a “sacred space” Evans says, “especially in the summer when the whole town is bustling, people will come here – and they’re welcome to – because they know it will be calm here.

“We feel that this place is a symbol of comfort and longevity and community; it speaks to the things that people value about this island.

The Healing Arts Center has occupied the historic farmhouse since 1988, and in the last 22 years has grown into a non-profit 501(c)3, sustained by its member-practitioners. Maintenance, repainting and remodeling have been on-going, to include a lending library, reading room and an Internet research desk open to the public, as well as the studio space for acupuncture, massage, life coaching and herbal body wraps, among other healing practices.

And now the time has come to raise the roof. In keeping with its commitment to heal and sustain the island way of life, the Center plans for a 100-year metal roof, at a cost of $15,000, on the historic building.

“In the past, HAC has been reluctant to approach the community for fund-raising,” Evans says, “because of the perception that the Center is a business.”  But, as a non-profit, the HAC’s mission, in part, is to provide a space where the practitioners can operate their private practice, and it’s the only center on Orcas Island that offers that opportunity. The HAC provides a starting place where healing arts workers can build their practice without devastating financial risk, Evans adds.

“I was also motivated to go public with a roof, because it’s a metal roof and a visible signal to our commitment to be here. That to me is a powerful message to send, starting from the top down.

“So despite the economic situation, this felt like the time to approach the public and ask for their involvement.”

In June, the Healing Arts Center received an Orcas Island Community Foundation grant of $1000, which seeded the fundraising efforts for the roof “campaign.” The Center has secured a favorable agreement with local contractor, Paul Groeninger. “Paul’s willingness to work with us collaboratively is essential in keeping the cost within reach,” said Evans. “We decided to fundraise for the remainder of the cost by bartering what we do best – our healing work.”

“The Raffle is a bonanza of 25 prizes aimed to heal,” explains Evans.  First prize is a coupon book of 12 1-hour treatments at the center with any of our practitioners, valued at $840.  Second prize is a coupon book of 6 1-hour treatments at the center, valued at $420.  Third prize is another coupon book of 3 1-hour treatments at the center, valued at $210.

“These coupons can be used by the winner, may be given away as gifts or donated to other non-profits to benefit their fundraising needs.  In addition, we have approximately 22 ‘bonus prizes’ that will include donations from other local island businesses and gift certificates for 1-hour treatments with each of the specific practitioners at the center.”

Tickets are $20 each or a book of 6 for $100. They are available from any of the Center’s practitioners and at the Healing Arts Center reception desk, Monday – Saturday, 10am-3pm.  A maximum of 777 tickets will be sold, making the odds of winning a prize 1 in 30.

The ticket drawing will be held at the Healing Arts Center on Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. Ticket holders are invited to be present at the drawing; winners need not be present to win.

For anyone wishing to make contributions to the preservation of this historic building and/or the Healing Arts Center in general, an account has been established at Islander’s Bank named “The Healing Arts Center Abundance Fund.”  The Healing Arts Center organization is a 501 c-3 non-profit and any contribution is tax deductible. For more information, go to www.healingartsonline.com