help to save bahooka's mascot, rufus~~~

Yes...contact me at ([email protected]). I am at work now, but will get back to you tonight.

Comment left...your turn..

I just commented too. Save Rufus!

Do we know how many gallons that tank is?

On 2014-02-07 12:35, tikiskip wrote:
Ok I left my comment, now it's your turn...

At this time there are...
0 Comments
74 Likes
14 Tweets
0 Pintrest

Bring those numbers up!

I get it now. It may be that the lag time is caused by the monitoring of the posts - so there are not inane or troll comments, like the LA Times. I posted. Next, to send to Hidden LA on FB.

Very nice work getting the story out there, The balls finally rolling!
two weeks and counting....

#SaveRufus

Hi All, I have talked to several people that reached out to me over the last two weeks. I'm sorry to say I am not in a position to take Rufus. It will require a lot of work and the NH Tonga is too small and the PS Tonga is on second floor and that tank will be too heavy in such an old building. Never mind the fact that we are opening a new hut and its all hands on deck right now. Sorry I would love to help if I could, this is one of the very few times I can not jump in

Amy

[ Edited by: Queen Kamehameha 2014-02-07 14:21 ]

Amy we all know you would take Rufus if you could.
BUT... You could post news of this at both Tonga Huts.
And if the Mag has not been put to bed yet a small quick note
about this in the Mag of all things tiki could help too.

Who knows how long this thing may take?

Do not forget you too can help.
"I am not of much help here in NorCal"
Oh but you can help, all need to leave comments at the bottom of that article.
They watch that stuff, and if it gets lots of posts and or likes that story will grow legs.

And
At this time there are...
0 Comments NOW 6
74 Likes NOW 164
14 Tweets NOW 29
0 Pintrest

The numbers on this article are going up!
Go post and help interest grow!

Post comments here...
http://www.lamag.com/citythink/askchris/2014/02/07/saverufus-the-legendary-38-year-old-pacu-fish-from-bahooka-needs-a-new-home

Wow, this has got some wheels! You are all awesome! Ideally we're trying to find a public place for Rufus, like a restaurant. This way we can all enjoy him. But if that doesn't happen, then Plan B would be to go to a private residence, which is still good. There are a couple that reached out already and are willing to take him. It looks like Damon's and Tonga Hut are off the list, but cheers for the consideration. Rufus is old and we want to make sure that he is only moved ONCE, so this process is taking time to make sure he ends up in a "forever" home. Some of us mentioned that we will pitch in funds and I stand by that. I've never set up one of those kickstarter things, but I have a savvy friend in Silicon Valley that can set that up while he brushes his teeth. Thor's Art and t-shirts are an awesome idea. My phone is acting up and I can't reach my Facebook messages where some have messaged me names and numbers to follow up on. I'll have to wait until I get home for that. Jorge has been low key lately because a ton of people are calling him and he's not used to that, he's a real mellow guy.

Alright, update. Damon's may still be interested. Some folks are really trying to convince them. Don's is interested also. A couple of fellas here will come on soon to post info on funding a move.

Lost In Paradise put this up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVkPdVl4ROQ

Please post on facebook if you've got a facebook.

Great Chris! now everyone can send links to it, has anyone posted the link
on the L.A. times article page yet?
Very nice job.

On 2014-02-07 17:28, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:
Great Chris! now everyone can send links to it, has anyone posted the link
on the L.A. times article page yet?
Very nice job.

Good idea. I'll post it there now.

FB Hidden LA loves Rufus and even appears to have inside info regarding a potential new home:

https://www.facebook.com/HiddenLA

Looks like Kari has been getting the word out behind the scenes
and the word is spreading! great job to everyone for going that extra mile!

And Fez why don't you try to convince the owner that it would be in his
best interest (Good Press etc.) to Donate Rufus to a good home?

So this is what a few of us here have been working on. Fez, SoCal, Thor and myself have been kicking around the idea of starting a fundraiser for Rufus. THOR has graciously agreed to do an illustration of Rufus for a t-shirt. We were thinking that for a set donation amount you would receive the Rufus t-shirt. You could always donate less than the set amount but the t-shirt might entice some to donate more. Lots of loose ends but we wanted to have a plan in place just in case something else does not work out.

At the end of the day it seems like money is going to be needed either to purchase Rufus, to move Rufus, to care for Rufus or all of the above. If a restaurant/commercial business wants Rufus but maybe does not have the funds and the owner of Rufus does not donate him then the funds might could be used to secure Rufus who then can be donated on TC's behalf to said restaurant. Maybe a plaque with all the persons who donated could be displayed with Rufus. There are a lot of different scenarios but having funds on hand makes it easier to act.

Not sure who the Hidden LA people are or what crowd sourcing they are wanting to do. I guess that needs further research.

[i]On 2014-02-07 19:21, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:

it would be in his
best interest (Good Press etc.) to Donate Rufus to a good home?

Good kharma, too.

Does anyone have contacts with the Hidden LA folks?

From their posting on FB it seems like they are talking about a fundraising campaign as well. It may be best to coordinate everything if that's happening.

I would be interested in a T Shirt, AND a donation.

Spreading the word and all the links as best I can. Great momentum...keep it up.

On 2014-02-07 19:54, SoCal Savage wrote:
Does anyone have contacts with the Hidden LA folks?

From their posting on FB it seems like they are talking about a fundraising campaign as well. It may be best to coordinate everything if that's happening.

Sent Kari (Tangaroa-Ru) a message, let you know when I hear back.

On 2014-02-07 20:24, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:

On 2014-02-07 19:54, SoCal Savage wrote:
Does anyone have contacts with the Hidden LA folks?

From their posting on FB it seems like they are talking about a fundraising campaign as well. It may be best to coordinate everything if that's happening.

Sent Kari (Tangaroa-Ru) a message, let you know when I hear back.

Awesome. Thanks ATP!

Some kind of funding drive may already be in the works
I will post info when I know more....

On 2014-02-07 19:45, El Jefe wrote:
So this is what a few of us here have been working on. Fez, SoCal, Thor and myself have been kicking around the idea of starting a fundraiser for Rufus. THOR has graciously agreed to do an illustration of Rufus for a t-shirt. We were thinking that for a set donation amount you would receive the Rufus t-shirt. You could always donate less than the set amount but the t-shirt might entice some to donate more. Lots of loose ends but we wanted to have a plan in place just in case something else does not work out.

Great idea, get a Kickstarter going. Maybe get one of the great mug artist around here to make a limited edition save Rufus mug for the top tier. Who knows maybe we can end up making Rufus the first trust fund Pacu!

Happy Saturday all!

Lot's of momentum in place on this! Possibilities re-surfacing and I don't think it will be too long before we have a solution. I may be under estimating this, but I actually think the funding will not be our real challenge. My hope is that the owner will see his need to step up and do the right thing…and be happy to donate Rufus. Costs will be focussed on relocation details. Even if not, with all the people I have heard from and seen on here offering $, I am optimistic that the funds are our least problem. Our biggest hurdle is finding "THE RIGHT" new owner. Looking forward to more happening this weekend.

~~

The Hidden Los Angeles Facebook page posted the fundraising page.
http://www.youcaring.com/pet-expenses/help-rufus-the-fish-find-a-forever-home-/136424

Yes, I spoke with the Hidden LA folks a few days ago and she brought up the idea. El Jefe and SoCal Savage cemented the idea of setting one up also throught this site. It looks like the funding won't be an issue anymore, as I'm sure we'll easily surpass what is needed. I still like the idea of doing something with Thor's Art and t-shirts and all. There is definitely a home for Rufus now, it's just trying to find the right one.

On 2014-02-08 08:59, tikilongbeach wrote:
The Hidden Los Angeles Facebook page posted the fundraising page.
http://www.youcaring.com/pet-expenses/help-rufus-the-fish-find-a-forever-home-/136424

Well, We were going to announce this later today when we know more about other things in the works
but this is the fund setup by the folks at Hidden L.A. & suggested by Kari, it is meant for helping to cover the costs
of procuring & safely moving Rufus to a new location, future upkeep & a publicity campaign if we can get him to
a public establishment, It is my suggestion that we make this the central hub to collect funds for Rufus
instead of setting up several others.

It is very much my hope & others that the owner will "Donate" Rufus to help keep the overall cost
a reasonable one.

[ Edited by: Atomic Tiki Punk 2014-02-08 14:08 ]

So more info about Hidden L.A.
http://hiddenlosangeles.com/about/

On 2014-02-08 13:16, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:

On 2014-02-08 08:59, tikilongbeach wrote:
The Hidden Los Angeles Facebook page posted the fundraising page.
http://www.youcaring.com/pet-expenses/help-rufus-the-fish-find-a-forever-home-/136424

Well, We were going to announce this later today when we know more about other things in the works
but this is the fund setup by the folks at Hidden L.A.and suggested by Kari, it is meant for helping to cover the costs
of procuring & safely moving Rufus to new a location & a publicity campaign if we can get him to
a public establishment, It is my suggestion that we make this the central hub to collect funds for Rufus
instead of setting up several others.

It is very much my hope & others that the owner will "Donate" Rufus to help keep the overall cost
a reasonable one.

I agree that there should be a central collection hub. I spoke with Jefe and we're holding off on setting anything else up. Hidden LA definitely has a larger reach than we will have. Let's see how it plays out over the next few days. I'm going to make a donation there now. Great to see such momentum on this!

Things at work have been crazy for me. I've been so focused there that I've been a zombie in my personal life... I have a couple of friends that have a bar in the Gas Lamp District in San Diego that have been thinking if converting I to a tiki bar. I have a meeting with them tomorrow to go over some ideas. Rufus would be a GREAT kick-off for them. Not just an attraction, but a part of themselves... I'm pretty good with fresh water tanks, so I can get them set up too. I'm not saying this is a done deal, just a possibility...

I just donated. I think it is good to start now so the goal can be met by the time Rufus get's moved. I also hope the owner donates Rufus, it is the right thing to do. I like that I can go into the site and donate whenever I want, since they have goal tracking. Thanks for getting this up a running so quickly. It is encouraging that everyone is teaming up to help make this a positive project and try to get Rufus to a home that is a best fit for him and those of us who love him.

The fish, The myth, The legend.

LAist.com posted this link:

http://laist.com/2014/02/08/bahooka_fish_rufus_needs_a_home.php

Great...the media is so helpful. Great celebration of Rufus in the stories. Keep up the great work everyone!!!

O.K…well I had to tend to other demands but have been continuing to work on this all. Kari and I heave been discussing options since Friday with contacts we know. Stuff is happening that I will share soon, I just don't want to raise hopes if it doesn't work out..but rest assured, if it does, everyone will be VERY excited!

From my side, this has/is been very time and energy consuming, but WELL worth the cause. I plan to be very involved in the relocation efforts and celebrating the event. When we know the final outcome and the costs, I want to create a very special painting that can be used for this event and merchandise uses such as t-shirts. This sort of thing inspires me greatly!!!

Keep your carrots crossed!!

Thanks Tom, for your continued efforts and uplifting spirit.

I think it's just wonderful to see this community come together and work so hard to bring Rufus to a new forever home. I never got to go to the Bahooka, but being able to help relocate Rufus somewhere, even if it is just with a modest donation to the Hidden LA fund for expenses, makes me feel like I'm taking part in helping to keep its spirit alive.

On 2014-02-09 06:08, THOR's wrote:
O.K…well I had to tend to other demands but have been continuing to work on this all. Kari and I heave been discussing options since Friday with contacts we know. Stuff is happening that I will share soon, I just don't want to raise hopes if it doesn't work out..but rest assured, if it does, everyone will be VERY excited!

   From my side, this has/is been very time and energy consuming, but WELL worth the cause.  I plan to be very involved in the relocation efforts and celebrating the event.   When we know the final outcome and the costs, I want to create a very special painting that can be used for this event and merchandise uses such as t-shirts.  This sort of thing inspires me greatly!!!  

  Keep your carrots crossed!!  

Thanks for the update Tom. Looking forward to some good news!

I will be at the Bahooka today with a film crew and the LA Times. They want to do a story on Rufus and the fish. Shall I wear a suit or a hawaiian shirt? I'm wearing a suit already for work.

Well Tiki is about anything but a suit!!! lol I hide my suit when I even THINK a Tiki thought! lol If you are accessing Bahooka today...most important thing is that we need accurate measurements of the tank and anything that is part of it's mass. See if you can help Jorge with that. Also, the guy that really needs to get on Camera is Jorge. He has been caring for this lil' guy for the past year and the rest of us have gone about our lives, wondering about him, unless we have popped in now and then to buy stuff. WE are close on several things for a new home, possibly...we need those measurements though as priority one! whoever is there today, please get those!!

[ Edited by: THOR's 2014-02-10 13:30 ]

Absolutely! Damon's is a go. Don the Beachcomber is also interested, but we got the "Yes" from Damon's.

Don's would take good care of him and give him the space he needs, but it was just a matter of timing here.

Very nice! Plus Damon's is only about 15 miles from Bahooka, hopefully that should make things a little easier.

Damon's has been wanting to take this on since I spoke to Michael mid week....I worked hard to sell them on Rufus and Michael, the GM has really wanted this to work too. We FINALLY got Damon's owners to give the thumbs up, IF ...BIG IF, the tank fits next to the piano. So Jorge I believe was going to measure and get the tank measurements asap to Damon's. This said, are you saying the measurements are confirmed to fit Damons as of now, fez? Kari is doing lot of work orchestrating this... Please chk with her on status.

[ Edited by: THOR's 2014-02-10 16:09 ]

Great news!

Kari and I had kept this on the down low till we heard the measurements worked... Otherwise Damon's is not 100%. Too early to celebrate .

Best way to reach me for art or questions directly is this link: https://www.facebook.com/tom.thordarson.3
OR Search on Facebook for : THOR ART

[ Edited by: THOR's 2014-02-10 14:45 ]