Desperately Seeking Alex: Be there on 15th Jan

Local Stockport man Alex Humphrey, aged 29, went missing on 14^th August 2009 while on a 3 week holiday in Panama. Despite numerous searches, police involvement and a Panamanian media campaign, there has been no trace of Alex since.

Friends and family desperate to find out what has happened to Alex have rallied together to organise 'Desperately Seeking Alex' - a poetry, music and arts event to raise funds and awareness for Alex's case.

Manchester's greenroom, on Whitworth Street, is set to host the event, which will take place on 15^th January 2010 from 7.00pm. I have been part of the organising committee for this event.

We came up with the idea since Alex is a keen poet, as well as classical music enthusiast. In addition to scheduled and open mic performances from some of the region's best poets and amateur poets, there will be performances from classical and modern musicians, burlesque dancers, and fabulous raffle and auction prizes to be won - including an auction prize for 1 night B&B at Manchester's Lowry Hotel.

Bringing awareness to Alex's plight is central to the event, while money raised will be used to help fund the cost of continuing the search for Alex, and donated to Panamanian children's charity Hogar Trisker (as a thank you for the help of the Panamanian authorities in the search for Alex). Some will also be given to Ewing School, the special needs school in Didsbury that Alex worked at.

Currently, the top auction prize to bid for at the Desperately Seeking Alex event is, as mentioned, a 1 night stay on a B&B basis at Manchester's 5 star The Lowry Hotel, while raffle prizes include nights out at Band on The Wall, Lonely Planet gift books, a meal at Sweet Mandarin in Manchester, a night out with wine at greenroom, and many others.

With more awareness to the situation of missing Alex Humphrey and more funds to help the search, there is hope the family can find some much-needed news to alleviate their anguish. As Alex's mum, Gill Humphrey, says, “The worst case scenario is never knowing what happened to Alex.”

Desperately Seeking Alex: Doors open 7.00pm until late, with a 7.45pm start time, and a DJ/disco after performances have ended. Door entry is £3 waged / £2 unwaged. Free vegan cakes will be available on the night!

See the Facebook group 'DESPERATELY SEEKING ALEX' for further details, email desperatelyseekingalex@googlemail.com, and also see www.alex-humphrey.co.uk

Can you help?

Organisers of the event are appealing to local people, businesses, and shops for kind donations towards the raffle or auction prizes, to make this event really big and raise as much cash as possible to such a worthy cause. As well, they are appealing for a sponsor to the event.

If you would like to donate or are interested in sponsoring Desperately Seeking Alex, please contact press officer for the event, Andrea Wren: desperatelyseekingalex@googlemail.com