Thieves stole Garry “Bubbleman” Golightly’s van and 45 years’ worth of bubble-making equipment. Now his community is rallying to help him rebuild.
SEATTLE — Garry “Bubbleman” Golightly has spent 45 years spreading joy to children across Western Washington with nothing more than soap, water and handmade wands crafted from thrift store finds and recycled plastics.
But a few weeks ago, his good nature was put to the test when thieves stole his 20-year-old Honda Odyssey from outside a Seattle supermarket.
Police recovered the van, but all of his equipment — cobbled together over nearly half a century — was gone. Golightly has had to cancel at least six shows while trying to rebuild his collection.
“It’s a terrible loss. It was just a lot of work I put into these things. You can’t find them all over again,” he said. “Some of them took me months to create.”
Despite the setback, Golightly — who turns 73 this summer — refuses to give up. “I’m not gonna let this get the best of me,” he said. “This is what I was put on this planet for.”
And the community agrees. Raul Gonzalez met Golightly at their local grocery store. Upon hearing what happened, Gonzalez immediately loaned him his car for a week. Gonzalez says it was simply Golightly’s own kindness coming back to him.
“When I see him sad, it makes me sad, so I have to do my part,” Gonzalez said. “We are all in this together. We have to help each other out.”
Jason Surh organized an online fundraiser to help Golightly recoup his losses and is planning a larger event to provide him with greater financial security.
“I can’t think of a more perfect and pure case of altruism,” Surh said. “He’s been performing for kids selflessly for 45 years and has dedicated his life and craft to this. Bubbleman deserves this.”
Golightly acknowledges his bubble-blowing days may eventually be coming to an end — neuropathy in his legs has begun slowing him down — but he is not ready to stop just yet.
“You can’t retire from hearing children’s laughter,” he said. “It makes me feel so good. This is what I was put on this planet for.”
To ensure diverse coverage and expert insight across a wide range of topics, our publication features contributions from multiple staff writers with varied areas of expertise.
