SUPPORT DEMOCRACY. SUPPORT VOTING RIGHTS. SUPPORT RUTA.

BARBECUE WITH ART

Saturday, June 15th, 5:00 – 7:30 PM

Rare Nest Gallery 3433 North Kedvale Chicago

Please join us at Rare Nest Gallery for an evening supporting RISE UP TO ACTION (RUTA) – an amazing grassroots, volunteer group that sends hand-addressed postcards to voters to offer support and encourage voting.

Rare Nest’s event will feature delicious barbecue, beverages, and a no-reserve silent auction with works by MarkBallogg, John F. Miller, Tom Palazzolo, and more all in support of a great cause.

HOSTS
Joann Barry
Keith Bringe
Peter Handler
Tim O’Hagan
Julie Osborne
Mary Beth Sova

THIS EVENT IS FREE BUT RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED
Space is limited. keith@rarenestgallery.com or 708-616-8671.

If you can’t join us –please consider making a donation.

ABOUT RUTA
Our friend Peter Rothblatt is a co-founder of Rise Up To Action (RUTA). RUTA started in San Francisco after the 2016 election. The group has grown to 450 members. RUTA has written over 500,000 postcards to Dems and Independents to get out the vote during the primary and election seasons, to give folks information about how to register, tell them how to apply for mail-in ballots, etc.

From Peter: “We want people to vote. Voting rates in this country are very low, and voter suppression efforts are lowering them still. Activating voters is how we will save our democracy (or die trying).

There is clear evidence that postcarding can move an election by a couple of percentage points; as you know, margins that close are common, so this work is crucial. At the beginning of the year, we wrote about 7000 postcards to District NY03 to help Tom Suozzi win a special election. With our help, what was seen as a two point race turned into an almost eight point romp.

Most recently, RUTA volunteers began writing to Arizona Native Democrats where we are told that the only way they will learn about primary date changes is through receiving a postcard. Arizona is one of the few battleground states, so this work is VERY important.

Postcard stamps now cost $.51. Our postcarding has cost $250,000 which has been paid for by the folks who write the postcards, as well as by donations. We would like to be able to write thousands more but RUTA desperately need funds to continue.”

You can donate through this Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ruta-2024

RUTA HAS NO STAFF – NO SALARIES and is completely volunteer-driven. 100% of your donation goes toward stamps (and postcards).

Here’s the link again: gofundme.com/ruta-2024

Rare Nest Note: You can also donate actual postage (first class Forever Stamps).

Just bring them to the event!

Official Website

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Tags: Avondale, Chicago, Joann Barry, Julie Osborne, Keith Bringe, Mary Beth Sova, Old Irving Park, Peter Handler, Rare Nest Gallery, Rare Nest Gallery Benefit for Rise Up to Action, Rise Up to Action, Tim O’Hagan