52nd City: Kick Ass Awards: 11/11 @ 7

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November 10, 2005

Kick Ass Awards: 11/11 @ 7

Tomorrow, 12 St. Louis individuals, organizations and couples (along with one mystery winner) wil receive the second annual STL Kick Ass Awards, a recent tradition begun in Austin, TX. We'd certainly invite you to attend this event, held at the Gallery Urbis Orbis, at 10th and St. Charles.

Light refreshments will be served. Seating is limited, though standing room is ample. And attendance will cost you - literally - change. So please empty out your car's ashtray, check the gaps in your couch and sacrifice that coin-filled piggybank in your bedroom. Monies will go to funding this event and future publishing projects in 2006.

Here's a suitably-esoteric note from founder Spike Gillespie:

A couple of years ago I started the Kickass Awards in Austin because I was inspired by the kindness of Stella, a wonderful employee of the St. Louis Bread Company in Webster Groves. On my annual visits to Webster, Stella always treated me like royalty, clutching my hand, looking in my eyes, passing along something besides bagels whenever we met. I’d been cynical and sarcastic most of my life, but Stella helped open my eyes to all sorts of kindness in the world. And so, to celebrate the good people in my community who aren’t always recognized for their goodness, I started the Kick Ass Awards to offer a little recognition and good cheer. I also think that taking the time to acknowledge the goodness in others prompted me to try to do more good in the world. This year, the whole look-for-good/do-good took on a life of its own for me.

In the springtime, my friend’s sister-in-law died, leaving behind two very little kids. I offered to help take care of the kids while their dad came up with a plan and worked through some of his grief. I only did this because I could, because I’ve had so much help myself over the years. I expected nothing in return— the kids were fun to be with and that was reward enough. Well... as it turns out, the kids’ have an aunt and uncle who are friends with a foot specialist in Chicago. When they learned that I walked with a cane due to crippling arthritis, and that I had no insurance, they put me in touch with the specialist. I just returned from a week in Chicago— to thank me for helping his friends’ family, the foot doctor waived his fee and restructured my foot so I will soon be able to walk again without pain after three years of serious pain. Friends in Austin threw a benefit to raise money to cover my travel expenses and surgical center fees. And Michael McCarthy, a St. Louis citizen (and father to my son, the Amazing Henry) came up to take care of me during my recovery. So you can see that there will be many, many Kick Ass awards to hand out at our next ceremony in Austin that are connected directly to all of this. Really amazing the good we can do each other. I just love how much we all Kick Ass.

I’m so delighted the Kick Ass tradition has spread to St. Louis. Thanks to Stella for starting it all and to Thomas for making it happen up there. Y’all are invited to our awards— January 10, 2006 at BookPeople in Austin.

Posted by Thomas Crone at 10:51 AM | 52nd City Updates

Comments

Who received the awards and who was the mystery winner of the Kick Ass Awards?

Posted by Sue on Mon., Nov 14, 2005 at 3:41 PM