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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Society mentioned in City Link / Metro mix

Thomas-Aid


Help Thomas Mitchell pay his medical bills by drinking beer and playing poker at Rasa Productions' warehouse.
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Rasa Productions raises money for a good cause at the quarterly art shows it holds in its Fort Lauderdale warehouse. Their recent spring showcase, for example, benefited the art program of a neighboring elementary school. On Friday, Rasa will throw a party to raise money for another cause that’s close to home – the medical bills of Thomas Mitchell, the boyfriend of artist Keegan Hitchcock, who was scheduled to paint at the spring showcase.

According to Rasa’s artistic director, Chris Mahle, Hitchcock never made it to the spring showcase because her boyfriend Mitchell was mugged in Himmarshee Village the previous night in an incident that landed him in the intensive care unit of Broward General with 14 stab wounds and a punctured lung.

Mitchell says he left America's Backyard after last call and had crossed Second Street when a man pulled up in an older metallic pinkish-purple Honda Civic and asked for directions. The man then emerged from the car, he says, and put a knife to his throat and demanded his wallet. Mitchell, who was alone, says he pushed the man's hand away from his throat and restisted but that the man then punched him in the stomach and began stabbing him. Afterwards, Micthell says, the stabber jumped into his car and sped off, without ever taking his wallet.

Mitchell didn't mention how much money he had in his wallet but certainly it wasn't enough to cover the five-day hospital stay he says mounted to $27,000. "I'm trying to not think about it as much as possible," he says.

Thomas, a student at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, has no health insurance and has lost time and wages from being unable to work for nearly two weeks, Mahle says. “Our goal is to help float him to full recovery and make sure that his life and assets don’t completely crumble because of this unfortunate happening,” he adds.

The keg party will feature a barbecue, cookies, brownies, cupcakes, a giant Jenga tournament, karaoke, poker and music courtesy of Pusher FM, DJ Esoteric and Andie Sweet Swirl. Loads of prizes, including tickets to see Alkaline Trio at Revolution, a boat rental certificate, collectible toys from Tate's Comics, will be raffled too. Other donated prizes are welcomed.

“It’s a huge party to celebrate Thomas being alive,” Mahle says, “and to celebrate all the awesome friends he's got, raise a little cash to help him with medical and other bills and have some good clean fun!”

The party is 6 p.m. to midnight Friday at Rasa Productions, 1639 SW Second Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. Contact 954-990-1910 or Rasa-productions.com.

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