May 5, 2007 : Chris Mecham
I discovered 1000 miles on YouTube a couple of days ago and it struck
me as an apt metaphor for my own journey. I included the clip in a
rather lengthy blog entry about some struggle I've been having.
You'll find a better expression of my sympathy at Methedup.net and Chase's influence
on my recovery from drug addiction on the entry before.
Thanks for the inspiration. I am sorry for your loss. God be with you.
Chris Mecham
April 12, 2007 : Lisa Gae Jones, Chase's aunt
On April 14th communities all across the country are organizing events for a National Day of Climate Action. We are not marching on Washington because this is an "Think Global, Act Local Event." People will be skiing down melting glaciers in Wyoming, scuba-diving en masse among the threatened coral reefs of Florida, creating a massive human chain of blue-t-shirted people around the "new" shoreline of Manhattan in 2050 (realistically, however, we've got 10 years to act in massive ways to change our lifestyles, attitudes and laws to prevent and repair the damage to the planet due to global warming.)
What I'm doing: I'm helping organize the event in Seattle. For more information, go to our website at www.stepitupseattle.org. I'm giving my time, money and soul to this project. My monetary donation will support one Portapotty at our event and I'm proud of it! We're marching from Occidental Park to Myrtle Edwards Park along the soon-to-be submerged waterfront (You can spend all you want on Viaduct Solutions, but hey it could be underwater anyway.) I'm also contacting the Rat City Roller Girls (Professional roller derby) and the local Burning Man contingent to join our group.
What you can do: I looked it up and there is a Stepitup Event happening in every one of your communities! Get involved. Go to www.stepitup2007.org for more information on your local event. If you can't attend, help with your event, please consider a donation. There could be a Portapotty with your name on it at your local event. Talk about your moment of fame and glory! Doesn't get much better than that.
Lisa Gae Jones, in loving memory of my nephew Chase, "Follow Your Bliss."
April 12, 2007 : MADD Strides for Change Walk
Chase's friends and family are planning to take part in the Strides for Change walk for MADD on June 2, 2007 at Hyland Lake Park in Minneapolis. If you'd like to take part in the walk or sponsor someone please email us at mail@chasekorte.com for more information.
Strides for Change, MADD's signature walk, is a fun, community-driven 5K walk that raises funds and saves lives. Every step taken and pledge made will help raise funds and awareness for MADD's programs and services that will serve to make our communities safer.
April 8, 2007 : Twin Cities Improv Festival
On June 21-24 2007 the first ever Twin Cities Improv Festival will be held. TCIF will be offering workshops with Dave Razowsky, Asaf Ronen, and Mick Napier. A scholarship in memory of Chase and good for any of the three workshops is available. Please write an essay describing your commitment to the art of improv and a description of financial need. Submit via email to jillbernard@gmail.com by April 15th. The award will be announced on May 15th.
Jill Bernard
March 28, 2007 : Joel Korte, Chase's brother
I have many unfinished songs on my computer... and I've always wanted to finish them and put together an album. I've decided to do that. With the extra time I have between finishing school and starting work I'm going to work on them A LOT. Hopefully by mid-summer or summer's end, I will have a full-album. It will be dedicated to Chase, he is the biggest support to me in my musical aspirations.
Joel Korte
March 27, 2007 : Michelle Penna, University of Minnesota & Elk River High School Alumnus
One of the important things Chase did in his last year was his
Peace Walk. It would be a huge undertaking, but I was thinking of
trying to set up an annual Memorial Walk ... with a nominal entry fee
and a large enough gathering of people, the proceeds could be donated to
a charity or scholarship. Perhaps the charity to support sexually exploited girls at World Vision Gifts that was mentioned at his memorial service in Elk River.
If anyone would like to work with me on this please email mail@chasekorte.com to be put in touch with me. Thanks!
Michelle Penna
March 25, 2007 : Tom Fuller, Chase's English Teacher, Elk River High
In 2000, Chase won a local contest for writing the best Peace Essay. This contest is sponsored nationally by the United States Institute of Peace. While Chase didn't go on to win on the national level he did win locally and the Bank of Elk River gave him a $500 savings bond.
I heard of Chase's involvement and interest in peace after high school and thought that it would be a good idea for the local contest to be renamed the Chase Korte Peace Essay award. We've lost Chase but in this way his influence and inspiration can live on.
You can read more about the contest by clicking here.
Tom Fuller
March 12, 2007 : Anjanette Harper, playwright
I found out about Chase's accident two weeks to the day after it happened. I had been thinking of the play we did together a few years back. My one-act play, "The Blouse Method" kicked off the First Stage play development series at the University of Minnesota, and his portrayal of the guileless, enchanting "Malcolm" stole the show.
When the play was picked up for further development for Illusion Theater's Fresh Ink series, Chase was the only actor the producers wanted. None of us could picture anyone else in the role. He was just "so Malcolm." (Those of you who saw the show - I met some of you diehards at his 20th birthday party - you made a bootleg copy of the play at the U. Do you still have it?)
If you saw the show, you remember Chase's famous line, "This isn't a cherry dip kind of town." Which was referring to Dairy Queen, not the other kind of cherry dip, thank you.
Chase, my friend Graham and I became fast friends, and had a brilliant summer of seeing theater and musing about it in coffee shops all over the Twin Cities. So, on February 24th I was remembering that show, and missing Chase, and looked him up online. What a shock. The thing is, I had just been feeling so badly about losing touch with my art (had a baby, took on too many ghostwriting projects, etc.), and remembered the last time I really felt connected to my theater community, and to my own voice as a playwright. When I read the news of his untimely death online, I instantly knew it was Chase who had moved me to look him up in that moment. To remind me who I was (am), and that "we're burning daylight."
So, my tribute to Chase is this: I am writing a role for him. In my more than sixteen years as a playwright, I have never met another actor (and I have worked with some really amazing actors) who was more sincere, innately talented, and joyful as Chase. He is the kind of actor that inspires playwrights to write roles specifically for them.
It is the only fitting tribute I can think of for that dear, sweet soul. So I am writing a role he would love to play, and that all of us would love to see him play. I know he will guide me in the writing. Though we lost touch for a couple of years (as theater people do), I feel him with me for a moment nearly every day.
I'll post again when the play is complete.
Anjanette (AJ) Harper
March 10, 2007 : Michelle Penna, University of Minnesota & Elk River High School Alumnus
Several Facebook pages honor Chase, including:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2204733462 ("Chase Korte Has No Friends")
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2240035515 ("Chase Korte lives on in our memories: Share them")
Someone at the Elk River memorial suggested renaming what is know as the "Little Theatre" at Elk River High School in Chase's memory? If anyone is interested in working with me on this project - petitioning the school etc - please email mail@chasekorte.com to be put in touch with me. Thanks!
Michelle Penna
update 03/25/07 - Jason Kolles and Tom Fuller have volunteered to help Michelle on this project. We'll keep the site updated with any developments.
