On Sunday, Wiet Bacheller’s decades-long commitment to helping others will be recognized at Martha’s Vineyard Community Services 45th annual fundraiser, the Possible Dreams Auction.
Art Buchwald is returning to hospice — this time as a benefactor. Starting Dec. 9, Mr. Buchwald’s son and daughter in law will host an online auction of the famed newspaper columnist’s personal items.
The Vineyard Haven home of Art Buchwald, the late humorist and columnist who summered on the Vineyard for more than 40 years, was sold last month for $1.395 million.
The buyers are Michael E. Sneed and Emily Ann Riddell. The seller was Joel Buchwald, representative for the estate of Arthur Buchwald. The sale took place on Jan. 22.
Through conversation and rainy walks around West Chop, Art Buchwald, William Styron and Mike Wallace — dubbed The Blues Brothers — battled depression together.
And then the three men, each luminaries in their field — Mr. Buchwald, a humorist, Mr. Styron, a novelist, and Mr. Wallace, a journalist — took their struggle with mental illness public, using their talents and fame to lessen the stigma of depression and other illnesses.
In the memory of three well-known Vineyard residents who struggled with depression, a special fund has been established through Martha’s Vineyard Community Services to support mental health counseling services.
Called the Blues Brothers Fund, the fund honors humorist Art Buchwald, novelist William Styron, and journalist Mike Wallace, and is meant to raise money and awareness for those struggling with mental illnesses.
A heavy and chilly bank of fog rolled in over last night's Possible Dreams auction in Edgartown, but it did nothing to cool down the bidders who went wild for items featuring Carly Simon, David McCullough and Walter Cronkite.
By the time the marathon event wrapped up some three hours later, Martha's Vineyard Community Services had raised $403,600 from 48 dreams, topping last year's $325,000 mark by a margin of nearly 25 per cent.
Last summer the eminently credible Walter Cronkite was correct as
usual when he predicted, "I'm expecting him to be right up
on that platform as he's been all these years, so I'm not
going to waste any tears."
Art Buchwald, succumbing to the request of Possible Dreams
cochairmen Kerry Scott and Amy Eisenlohr, has rescinded the decision he
made in August to step down as auctioneer of the high stakes fundraiser
for Martha's Vineyard Community Services.
A bit of spontaneity, a little arm-twisting and a contagious spirit of generosity turned last night into another record-breaking year for the Possible Dreams Auction. The 26th annual benefit raised more than $515,000 in about three hours for Martha's Vineyard Community Services, just surpassing last year's half-million mark.
Art Buchwald, the writer whose hospice stay turned into a lease on
life, returned Saturday afternoon to his beloved Martha's
Vineyard.
Mr. Buchwald arrived at Martha's Vineyard Airport at 12:30
p.m. in a private plane that flew directly from Washington Dulles
International Airport. Family members then drove him to his home on Main
street in Vineyard Haven.
