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Department of Good News

We Got This, Seattle: A Running List of Hope Across the City

Here's what's making us smile. Got something to add?

By Seattle Met Staff

Image: Michael Guio

While we work hard to bring you the news of our current COVID-19 quarantine, we're seeing signs of Seattle's resilient spirit all around us. We'll be updating this list with things that make us smile—and we want your ideas and photos too. Hit us up at [email protected]. 

Seattle's Office of Arts and Culture wants you to take art to the streets for #artdisplays4homestays. Riding the cheerful tailwinds of Make a Joyful Noise, the project calls on Seattleites to make art—paintings, sculptures, you're finest macaroni collage, whatever—and display it in your window, or your yard, or with chalk on a sidewalk, or just on social media with the hashtags #artdisplays4homestays and #seattletogether. 

Visit Seattle is hyping a brand new holiday to support Washington wine. They call it #sipglocal, but we'll take their cue from Baby Yoda and call this Friday May the Thirst. As we root around for our favorite Rocks District syrah, it's dawning on us that May is going to be a very drinky month. We're in.

It's not a pandemic, it's the Ken Jenningaissance! Starting May 4, Jeopardy! will re-air January's GOAT tournament between Jennings and two other buzzer champs, as well as the Seattle contestant's first and last episodes from his original 2004 run. You know, from when he was just a wide-eyed, innocent trivia nerd and not today's wide-eyed, podcasting, Twitter dunking trivia nerd. 

 

Local souvenir store Simple Seattle has a whole online shop devoted to coronavirus merch; depending on your current state of mind, you can rock a "We Got This / 2020" shirt or a "This Ain't It / 2020" tee. (But the funniest thing in there might be among the "I Miss Hockey" stickers; you can't blame the virus for that one, Seattle.) All pieces send part of the profits to community support, but the $5 "I Miss" t-shirt funds five whole meals through Food Lifeline; so far the campaign has raised enough for 8,600 servings.

Nonprofit Northwest Share is parking its free food truck at the University Heights Community Center in the U District four days a week, handing out up to 200 free vegetarian meals for homeless and food insecure locals. The project is funded by a GoFundMe that has already raised more than $11,000.

It's Friday Night Lights, just not the pigskin-and-cry variety. Seattle Fire Department is firing up the lights on its fire engines on a drive through the city from 7–8pm on Friday, April 17, mostly in the north end. Come wave and support first responders.

We're all about the soaring front yard opera performances from Ballard's Stephen Wall, recorded Wednesday by the Seattle Times. The Seattle Opera performer and staffer has been letting loose with arias around 5pm every weekday for the past two weeks.

Scarecrow Video is a legit Seattle treasure, one of the biggest movie rental spots in the country. And while they're renting movies by mail, they're also passing the time by making amazing videos themselves. Their "We Didn't Start the Fire" mashup is pure genius.

As stimulus checks from the federal government start rolling in, people who think they don't need the extra cash are pledging to spend their $1,200 at a small business as a show of support. The website and campaign, called Pledge 1200, was launched by a UW Foster School of Business alum.

Remember last month, when we told you that blood donations were good for the moment, but they'd need replenishing in April? Now's the time to give. Bloodworks Northwest is opening a pop-up donation drive at T-Mobile Park and giving every donor two tickets to the next Mariners season (whenever that is). Star catcher Dan Wilson already gave.

Mayor Jenny Durkan had a relatable moment of concern for her brother, photographer Tim Durkan, who ventured out to capture that big pink moon behind the Space Needle. We're with Jenny: Stay home, Tim! Except when you're out responsibly capturing these pics!

Image: Courtesy Soapbox

If you're currently nursing cracked cuticles, you must know how important soap is right now—which is why 60,000 bars of soap landing in the (sudsy!) hands of Feeding America Seattle, courtesy of Soapbox, is a pretty big deal. And, as you can see, a pretty big amount of soap. 

It's tougher to let your freak flag fly these days—but your heart flag is free game. Seattle Flagmakers are promoting theirs (in customizable colors!) as a way to "spread the love in your community" (and support a small business). We heart that.

Nearly two weeks after city government first encouraged Seattleites to "make a joyful noise" for frontline epidemic workers, it's become a nightly ritual. Seattle Met deputy editor Allison Williams caught the cheer on Tuesday night, along with a spectacular sunset.

Image: Reddit user praytell16

 

Reddit user praytell16 snapped a photo of the Fremont Troll donning a facemask to comply with CDC recommendations.

Seattle Refined reports that Dick's Burgers and their customers have now donated almost 50,000 burgers to hospitals and fire stations, thanks to a program where the local chain matches donations. It took only a day for the drive's first goal to be met.

Seattle Seahawks star Tyler Lockett contains hidden depths. In this week's at-home challenge, Number 16 is prompting kids to write their own poetry—and even did his own live poetry reading online.

 

Run out of clean hoodies yet? Don't lie. Toss that ratty thing in the hamper and purchase a WE GOT THIS, SEATTLE hoodie or t-shirt from the Seattle Storm, and all net proceeds will benefit Food Lifeline. You're looking (and smelling) better already.

It's hard to plan for summer music festivals with an uncertain future. Luckily, Oregon's famed outdoor fest Pickathon starts now. Beginning April 8, the festival will stream 60 concerts in 60 days to support music organization MusiCares. And no one even minds if you spark up in the middle of a set.

Local writer Ellen Kuwana is taking a page from Lizzo and feeding the front lines. Her We Got This Seattle Initiative, which started with a few meals delivered to the UW Virology department, has led to an operation providing eats to more than a dozen hospitals and health services, through donations and meals offered from local restaurants. Heathcare workers are putting in long hours, but at least they have good food waiting in the break room.

Reddit user Cristie1789's G-rated Peep Show

Announcement: Someone's already won Easter. A Crown Hill owner of a Little Free Library decided to turn the space into a Peep Show, arranging marshmallow chicks into dioramas and then posting the results on Reddit. So far she's depicted Mary Poppins (complete with patched-up kite and chimney sweep) and a Neverland pirate scene (the croc!). 

The city's videographers are staying busy during quarantine. Get a dose of the city in Downtown Seattle Association's dreamy, drone-y video tour of the city center, or wave at folks through their windows (we spy Steve Pool!) in KOMO's special edition of their Eric's Heroes series. Or, if your tastes run more to indoor pleasures, this 15 second video of chocolate being poured on a Metropolitan Grill cake is wonderfully soothing.

Amazon is donating 8,200 laptops to Seattle Public Schools students who need them for remote learning during the COVID-19 crisis. It marks the launch of a new educational foundation for Amazon, and schoolkids will get to keep the hardware permanently, so sounds like the city is now in need of at least 8,200 cool stickers to decorate them.

While we're jealous of everyone that received Canlis delivery on Friday (or any day), we're slow clapping for the restaurant's reply-all snafu (read the whole thread) that led to customers raising almost $10,000 for the Feeding America food bank charity. That's a mistake we can get behind.

Start every quarantine day with "Heavy Metal Breakfast." Preschool teacher Alicia Guinn of Pike Market Child Care and Preschool asked her friend Rev Taylor—who is somehow both a Seattle Opera chorister and front man of local power metal band Greyhawk—to write a song to share with her class. The result: Remote learning (and eating) at its most rockin’.

The Paramount Theatre speaks: This is just intermission. We finally have a good reason why we've been craving popcorn.

There are two kinds of people in a pandemic—the ones who want to hear about possibly worse times in history, and the ones who don't. This week, MOHAI director Leonard Garfield gave a talk on Seattle and the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918; the webinar full of fascinating factoids is free online.

Tacoma's got this too. The News Tribune reports on a laid-off sous chef who's delivering messages around the city by bike. No telegrams; Matthew Fleming will yell anything for $1. Birthday wishes, inside jokes, even R-rated dispatches. Book him through Venmo and see videos at his Instagram, @tacoma_shout_outs.

Health workers need more than just PPE to keep them operating at full speed. You don't need to tell that to Brooks Running, the Seattle-based shoe company that is donating 10,000 pairs of sneakers to those in the medical community...

 ...or Kent's Oberto Specialty Meats, which has Seattle Children's Hospital well-stocked with beef jerky.

More plywood art: Jade Garden, an International District dim sum spot, had one of its windows broken by a vandal, so the local artist community has stepped up to paint its exterior boards. Eater has the full story of this creative call to arms.

Seattle is a social distancing star in this New York Times piece about movement reductions across the U.S. According to anonymous cell phone data from Cuebiq, average individual travel per day in the Emerald City fell from 3.8 miles to just 61 feet between February 28 and March 27.

Wondering what it's like Out There? KOMO News compiled footage from across the city and set it to Shane Tutmarc's "A Brave New World." Give it a watch.

Event cancellations have hurt caterers. How about this for a pandemic pivot? Seattle-based Kaspars Catering and Events delivered packaged meals to residents of Plymouth Housing, making sure its food didn't go to waste.

Image: Courtesy Judy Wagonfeld

You know, it is still spring out there. That means buds, cherry blossoms, and other signs of revival can be found in our trees, like this hummingbird feeding her baby. (Looking for a longread? Learn more about a different type of feathered friend here.)

Thanks to reader Judy Wagonfeld for the tip.

The 520 bridge is here to lead medical workers over any troubled water they might find themselves in right now. Its towers will be lit to salute those caring for the ill.

We know dogs and cats can soothe and entertain on Zoom feeds, but let's not neglect some cute ocean creatures that we can currently stream. The Seattle Aquarium's sea otter celebration this week includes live cams trained on the animals. Their float-on lifestyle promises to put your mind at ease.

The Storm may not be in action, but our local WNBA hoopers are still staying active and encouraging you to do the same by providing daily workouts.

The Seattle Fire Department made a TikTok video of its firefighters dancing (at an acceptable social distance) and scrubbing their mitts. Even if you can't fully endorse the moves shown here, you can at least acknowledge that the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" has the requisite dark humor to be a Seattle handwashing anthem.

La Bohème may be canceled, but you can’t cancel the ingenuity of Seattle Opera’s costume shop workers. Under the direction of Providence Health and Services, some of these creative types are fashioning masks for local medical workers. Quick: Somebody ready an aria in homage.

The Seattle Symphony's streamed performances have already given many of us a lift, and now our local classical masters have added free programming for children. Complementing the "Meet the Instrument" series that launched last week and based on the symphony's Tiny Tots Concerts, "Tiny Clips for Tiny Tots: Brass" debuts Saturday at 10:30am. Horn John Turman will lead a brass quintet comprising orchestra members through some kid-friendly compositions.

Image: Stevi Deter

There may not be guests in the Downtown Seattle Hyatt Regency, but it's sending us all love regardless. Seattle resident Stevi Deter shared a photo of the improved skyline on Twitter.

Maria Semple made fun of Seattle in Where'd You Go, Bernadette, but we know she mocks with love. The writer is giving away 10 $50 gift cards to Elliott Bay Book Company on her Twitter account on April 1, making it the best kind of April Fool's event.

Running is all we have left. While spring events, from marathons to 5ks, are cancelled, KUOW reports that local race organizer Orca Running is launching a virtual Social Distance Run. Entrants will race independently at their chosen distance on Memorial Day. The $40 entrance fee nets runners a training plan, sticker, and finisher's medal, while bonus entry levels include a t-shirt and credit toward future, in-person Orca races.

Life's like this. In the midst of quarantine, power couple Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe (aka the stars of the Seattle Storm/Tacoma Reign/the world) gave us all what we all needed: an Avril Lavigne singalong while downing Rachel's Ginger Beer in giant wine goblets. That's the way it is.

Thanks to the New York Times article about how Seattle may be successfully flattening the curve, the Seattle Freeze is trending on Twitter—as a good thing. We're all hoping that the nascent trend mentioned in the article will hold this week, and we're willing to dial the standoffishness to 11 to make that happen.

The Musang kitchen is dedicated to free community meals this week.

All hail the Seattle Community Kitchen Collective, a group of South Seattle eateries providing meals to those in need. Musang, That Brown Girl Cooks!, and Guerilla Pizza Kitchen have joined forces with the Feed the People kitchen; check out their updated schedule here. They'll even do delivery for groups unable to travel.

More Seattle restaurants are stepping up to feed the city. Capitol Hill's Spice Waala—home of Indian street food—is dishing 50 free meals every Monday and Tuesday to the food insecure, no questions ask. When they asked customers for donations to help fund the initiative, they received enough to run it for at least 8 weeks.

Image: Skylar Bird

Reader Skylar Bird is capturing Seattle through the safety of a window. The local photographer snaps families waving, smiling, or showing off artwork from inside their homes, for a social distancing series she's sharing on her Instagram.

Your dinner of DiGiorno and Fireball could use some class—but Canlis is on it. Pianist Jason Lux is livestreaming the smooth sounds of the city's finest dining room over YouTube Monday through Friday, from 6–9pm, sometimes even in duets. Jackets not required (because let's be honest, you're not even wearing pants).

When we rock the Super Bowl, we fly the 12 flag. During Pride, a rainbow banner. In this time of pandemic, the Space Needle has raised a "We Got This Seattle" flag. Mayor Jenny Durkan personally hauled it up Thursday morning. The message even preceded by a hashtag—wait, is the Space Needle tweeting at us?

Last week, The London Plane delivered 12,800 meals to eight local hospitals free of charge, including University of Washington Medical Center hospitals, Harborview Medical Center, and Seattle Children's.

Seattle artist Ryan Henry Ward, aka henry, is holding a coloring contest with his coloring book, downloadable for free on his site. Winners from five different age groups will get an "I Believe in You" Sasquatch poster. And yes, there's an adult category. 

Image: John Spoden

Reader John Spoden emailed us to show off the Caffe Vita coffee he just picked up at Mighty-O Donuts–each sale of the We Got This Seattle medium roast blend coffee sends $2 to Seattle Foundation's Covid-19 relief fund. John even ordered a new mug for his java—a Kyler Martz-decorated camp cup from Fremont maker MiiR emblazoned with an octopus "We Are Alone in This Together" image. Each purchase donates $5 to Feeding America.

Microsoft isn't only providing us with Teams and work-from-bed Surface tablets during the Covid-19 period. On Tuesday, the Seattle Times reported that Microsoft President Brad Smith helped get 240,000 N-95 surgical masks, along with 15,000 eye protection goggles and 850 protective suits, to Seattle hospitals from an overseas source. As of mid-week, Microsoft has spent $4 million on supplies for hospitals.

Seattle's following European cities to #MakeAJoyfulNoise and support people working on the frontlines, like grocery store and health care workers. Starting on Thursday, March 26 at 8pm, Seattleites can crack a window or step outside and make some goddamn noise: clap, holler, bang a pot, bust out your tuba—whatever.

Linda's gets a quarantine makeover.

As Capitol Hill businesses nailed boards over their windows, Linda Derschang put out a call to local artists to decorate the plywood facades, saying, "Our boarded up businesses may seem like overkill (and we know they look awful) but we truly just want our places to stay intact, and ready to reopen." The beautification of boarded-up Capitol Hill has begun; The Stranger has a first-person account of the artfest at Oddfellows Cafe and Bar, the coverings at Linda's Tavern have also been painted, and Capitol Lounge has a mural that reminds us to "wash hands, be kind."

Crosscut reporter David Kroman reported on the WFH humor at Monday's virtual Seattle City Council meeting.

Writer Amanda Abler and illustrator Levi Hastings, Seattleites both, released their first children's book this week, The Spirit of Springer: The Real-Life Rescue of an Orphaned Orca, about one of our local killer whales. In lieu of an in-person launch, Hastings put free orca coloring and activity sheets on his website and will reward a winner for the best coloring job on April 6. Grab your crayons. 

Everyone's favorite Seattle musician, Dave Matthews (yeah, yeah, we wrote about his local bonafides), is doing a live 30-minute streaming concert on Thursday, March 26, as the launch of a "Pay it Forward" series. Up to $5 million will go toward small business relief while we jam to "Ants Marching" without shame.

The Seattle Mariners Twitter feed, besides flashing back to classic M's moments with the Big Unit and The Kid, is making virtual "baseball cards" of healthcare workers, aka community all-stars. 

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