Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Benefit show held for Matt Folden

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Around 200 people gathered on Aug. 2 at Der Hinterhof in Leavenworth to remember Matt Folden and raise money for his family. According to organizers, $2,500 was raised through the event, which included live music, a raffle and beer sales. 

Many at the benefit shared their thoughts about Matt and about what happened to him. 

“It was clearly evident from last night’s event, seeing the multitude of people from different backgrounds, music genres, and personalities, all coming together in such overwhelming force with nothing, but positivity and love, that Matthew Folden impacted a great many lives, forever touching and inspiring others, to keep trying, to never give up, to love and create. This is the legacy of his life on all those lives he touched,” Chris Mains of Leavenworth said. 

Mains was very trouble by the events of that faithful night. He said that tragic and unexpected loss of such a positive member of many families and communities raises many questions. 

“One on so many of our minds is ... why did this happen? Where were de-escalation tactics? Non-lethal force? What’s the point of all that if officers aren’t willing to utilize the numerous tools at their disposal and instead resort to heinous violence,” Mains said. “This is not protecting and serving, not where I want my tax dollars going. This event has the potential to be a catalyst for real change  in our country’s police departments. Matt may have been taken from us, but he will never be forgotten, and we will fight for him with every breath we have.”

Ashley Peterson of Leavenworth helped to coordinate the event. She said it was a memorable experience, one that made her feel like she was part of the Justice League with over 200 sidekicks. 

“Nearly every small business in Leavenworth donated items for our raffle, with zero hesitation. Bartending for the event gave me a different view, of all the love that we have for Matt Folden and his family and one another. It makes me proud of where we are, and where we come from. We are all such a lucky group of weirdos,” Peterson said. 

Peterson said Matt’s character shone through each individual that night. 

“He’s picked so many of us up, in all aspects. His nickname ‘crazy legs’ was commemerated, in full force once the DJs started the second half of the night. I’ve never seen my people get down like that. We all were inspired by his amazing talent of dancing,” Peterson said. “Matt was so open and caring. There was never any judgement from that man. He was always there to make you look up and be greatful for what you have. The amount of love everyone expressed for each other was a direct result of the lessons Matt Folden taught us.”

Kenzi Converse said no matter what it was that Matt did at whatever lengths, be it amateur or pro, he did it with intention and excitement.

“It was inspiring to see how aggressively passionate he was and it resonates with me. As far as what happened, I can’t really say I’ve had such an intense blend of sadness and anger before in my life. It’s not right. Our community has suffered a gigantic loss and it didn’t need to happen. I question the safety and peace of our valley,” Converse said. “I question the authority taken by the police officer. I question it all. I knew Matt. We all loved him. He did not deserve this. His family did not deserve this. His children did not deserve this. His friends did not deserve this.” 

Another close friend of Folden, Aki Iba, said the whole benefit came together quickly, the music, the raffle, the prizes donated by local businesses, the silent auction.

“I was amazed at the amount this community was willing to give to help my fallen brother’s family.  If there is one thing we can say about our community is that when times are tough you can always reach out and people are willing to lend a hand,” Iba said. “The first band of the night was Heavy Petting, a new local band comprised of members from various other bands around town. And they were amazing. As I took the stage with my band The Rich and Rare Rebels, I looked out at the scene in front of me and my heart swelled with pride. This was the event I knew Matt had always dreamed of.”

The owner of Der Hinterhof, Erin Mcfann, donated her venue along with money from beer sales. 

“It was a moving night to be part of; to see so many people come from near and far to remember and honor someone who touched them. The night was full of stories, hugs, tears and an outpouring of generosity for his family. It was an honor to share our space,” said Mcfann. 

The event attracted people from so many different circles, Iba said, people that normally would not be attending such an event. 

“The amount of love in the air that night was palpable. Everyone reconnected that night in a way they probably hadn’t done in years. Even though we lost so much that horrible Thursday when Matt was taken from us, we were at least reminded to let others know how much we love them as often as we can. In short, this was the perfect event, it was the kind of show I know Matt would have loved. The only thing missing was him,” Iba said. 

Suzie Anderson said we lost a vital member of the community, a visionary, an artist, a musician, a beaming personality, a real friend. 

“Matt was so full of love. It’s apparent in all of the love that was at the benefit show. We were all hugging, crying, loving each other, really feeling all of it. That’s exactly what he would have wanted. It’s completely unfair how this all happened,” Anderson said. “I want his name to be clean. I want justice for him. I want everyone to know how special he was and that he didn’t have to die that way. The officer made a terrible decision. He didn’t use any sort of de-escalation procedure and made his decision to kill Matt within seconds. The officer didn’t even have enough time to figure out what was going on and if he would have stopped and been more observant I think this would have been a different outcome.”

Dax Anderson said the event was indicative of Matt’s character to the utmost. 

“It was positive, it was hype, it was emotional, it was art. Punk, metal, hip hop, electronic, it doesn’t matter. We’re all family. I saw people I hadn’t seen in years gathering in memory of our brother. We didn’t have a single incident, argument, nothing. It was beautiful,” Dax Anderson said. 

The dialogue surrounding his death is predictable at best, inhumane at it’s core, Dax Anderson said. 

“The rumors and hate speech surrounding it is deplorable as well. Matt is not a threat. His heart has united this entire valley. He needed help that our current community and valley wasn’t prepared to provide. He’s a very emotional  person, but he’d never put hands on anyone. This was a matter of mental health, not immediate execution,” Dax Anderson said. 

Editor’s note: Thanks to Ashleigh Dunn, who helped gather information for this story. 

Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com.

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