An Evening at Hallow-Baloo with Geeks of Grandeur
Last Updated on September 20, 2019 by Michael Brockbank
October 27th, 2018 marked the first annual Hallow-Baloo event for Geeks of Grandeur. It was an evening filled with music, games and meeting new people. And it’s something I plan on doing next year as we had a great time for a great cause.
In fact, I’m already planning out my costume for the charity event.
What Attractions Were at Hallow-Baloo?
I was already planning on spending a bit of money to help Geeks of Grandeur at the event. Unfortunately, I had a lot of unforeseen bills tap my accounts, so I didn’t have as much as I wanted.
However, the evening was still a great experience.
At a Car Dealership?
Hallow-Baloo was held at Schomp Mini in Highlands Ranch, a car dealership. I thought it would be a bit weird to attend a party surrounded by vehicles. Luckily, it wasn’t at all what I expected.
Schomp Mini has a second floor used specifically for these kinds of events. It kind of doubles as an event hall complete with an outdoor patio and plenty of seating and umbrellas.
It was a very comfortable atmosphere.
Although, I did feel weird walking by what seemed to be buyers dressed as the Sole Survivor from Fallout 4.
Meeting the Geeks of Grandeur Hosts
I was able to meet with Carleen and Kenny…the heart and soul of Geeks of Grandeur. They are perhaps two of the nicest people I’ve met.
They thanked me for the review of their organization I wrote a month back. Apparently, it made more of an impact on them than I realized…which touched me deeply.
You see, I don’t have the greatest level of self-confidence. And to hear how they loved the article, it made me feel pretty good.
I wrote the review because I believe in what they do and thought their charity is amazing. It fits perfectly with what we do for Extra Life…helping kids in hospitals.
And I hope they continue the awesome work.
While I didn’t think the piece was anything too spectacular, apparently they did. And I’m glad that I could help in any way.
Fewer People than I Expected
The one thing I noticed immediately was the lack of patrons. There wasn’t maybe more than 30 or 40 people at any given time. Of course, this can be chalked up to being the “first annual” event.
The first annual of any event is never as good as the ones that precede it. And I’m sure there will be far more people next year. In fact, I can guarantee that I’ll bring a few more with me.
Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t think the party was dead by any means. I met a lot of really nice people and talked about everything from owning a liquor store to my opinions of Fallout 76.
The Silent Auction
The silent auction at Hallow-Baloo was pretty fun. I’ve never participated in this kind of auction before, and I can see how it can be quite competitive.
I didn’t win the Yoga lessons and mat, but we did get a years’ worth of coffee, a cold brew pot and a stylish coffee mug that looks better than mine.
There were a lot of fun things to choose from, especially some amazing Dragonball Z artwork. Personally, I’m not really into Dragonball Z, but the artist did a spectacular job.
One thing I really wanted was the liquor glass and coaster set. It was finely crafted and would have looked great in my living room. But the bidding went far beyond what I had available.
The Spirit of Giving
I met someone at the auction who was complaining about the bidding going so high. “I can make these with my 3D printer and the liquor isn’t worth how much the bid was.” he said to me inspecting the coasters.
He didn’t want to spend more than the actual value of the item on the table.
It made me feel that if he could go to Walmart to get the item he was bidding on for cheaper, he would. That’s not the purpose of a charity auction.
The only thing I could think is, “Wow…it’s a charity event. The purpose isn’t to get a good deal on liquor but to help Geeks of Grandeur.”
It sickens me how some people won’t help unless it benefits them in some way. And the only reason why I didn’t throw more money onto that table was because I simply did not have it.
When we won the coffee and mug, I wasn’t thinking I got a good deal. My first thought was that I love the mug and I wonder how good the coffee was at Pablo. Never once did the money enter my mind other than paying at the end of the auction.
Open Bar
The Hallow-Baloo event was also my first time attending an open bar. I wasn’t sure what to expect and was hoping to boost the night with Fireball.
The open bar had a few different types of wine and some Bacardi Zombie drink available. It wasn’t Fireball, but the zombie thing was pretty good. In fact, it was a bit of an adventure walking back to the hotel thanks to being heavy on the buzzed-side.
The bartenders were amazing and fun to hang out with. We sat and drank a bit chatting with the guys and meeting a few of the other charity attendees.
The Dance Floor
The dance floor was perhaps the smallest I’ve seen in a while. But keep in mind, the floor space available above the car dealership is somewhat limited. No, you’re not going to have 100+ people jamming out, but there was enough room to get your groove on.
I didn’t, but only because I don’t dance. Unless you’re expecting a 7th grade, awkward slow dance, don’t expect me to get up on the floor.
The music the DJ was playing was spot on for my tastes, including some techno remix of the Mario Bros theme. There was a lot of good music playing, and at times, I felt my feet wanting to move.
Luckily, the amount of liquor I drank still couldn’t overwhelm my sense of being embarrassed with my rendition of a failed 1990s Running Man.
Gaming on the Geeks of Grandeur Cart
One of the highlights for Hallow-Baloo, at least for me, was to see one of their gaming carts in action. This is one of the units they provide for kids at hospitals to help alleviate the strain of being bed-ridden.
It’s a nice setup, and is crafted well.
I didn’t get a chance to play it as every time I had a moment to spare, someone was already on it. But it was still great to see what these carts look like in person.
Mario Cart Races
A lot of people were gathered around the big screen TV as they competed in Mario Cart on the Nintendo 64. The winner received a $100 gift card to Game Stop, which I would have loved.
However, I’m not a big fan of Mario Cart. It was fun to watch the racers get into it, though. It was quite the attraction as most people at the charity event gathered around the seats and cheered during the race.
If I wasn’t so hung up about winning that coffee auction, I probably would have tossed in the entry fee so I could lose a race or two.
Now if it was a Golden Eye tournament, I would have ruled them all.
Can’t Wait for Next Year
Hallow-Baloo was the first charity event I attended in person…and it was the first annual event held by Geeks of Grandeur. It reminded me of why I built this website to begin with.
Not to make it rich or become YouTube or blogger famous…but to help those less fortunate.
Considering how much fun I had this year, I’ll surely attend the next. But this time, I’ll bring others with me and a much bigger bankroll.
I really wanted that Yoga set and lessons.
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