A fundraiser for John Peck, uncle of Jeremy Peck, hit the $2000 mark as more than 140 people showed up at the Chelan Cafe Sunday evening, Jan. 30.

Jeremy disappeared in the early hours of Christmas Eve, 2010, then some three and a half weeks later his body washed up on the shores of Bainbridge Island.
The King County Medical Examiner has said the cause of death will be announced in the next 7 to 9 weeks after tests are conducted.

People brought food to the event and the cafe was kind enough to donate the space in their dining room for the occasion that saw friends young and old crowd in to give hugs and share more memories in effort to help defray the costs for the final arrangements for Jeremy.

$5 raffle tickets were sold for those attending to win a $25 gift certificate at the Puerta Vallarta Restaurant, two $60 gift certificates at Royal Blue Tattoos in the Admiral District, a $50 gift certificate from Illusions Hair Design on California Ave., a $75 gift certificate from Burien Chiropractic and a $25 gift certificate from the Rocksport Bar & Grill. Also raffled were commemorative T-Shirts.

Ben Doty, Cheryl Perry and Kelly Crisp Irvine, all friends of the Pecks were in charge of the event and kept things running smoothly.

It was a party atmosphere with $1 jello shots, as promised, keeping the mood light.

Peck said, "This is another showing of love like we saw at the vigil for J.P. Obviously it's going to work out because there are a lot of people here."

Peck took legal custody of Jeremy and his sister Bobbi Jo from his brother Stephen fourteen years ago. Issues with alcohol and illness and finances made it difficult for the children to say with their father in eastern Washington.

Sue Lindblom, a 20 year friend of Peck's explained a bit about the history of John Peck's relationship with his nephew Jeremy and niece Bobbi Jo. "When he tried to get the kids he fought so hard to get them, he was so excited. He stepped up, a single guy, he stepped up when a lot of guys wouldn't step up."

Today, Bobbi Jo, 21 is in the women's prison in Purdy, Washington. She expects to be released in late June. Her 2 year old daughter Tylar lives with Carrie Baskett- Fernandez who works at the Chelan.

Doty said that he speaks with Bobbi Jo daily and said she took the news of Jeremy's death very hard but is managing to turn her life around, getting a G.E.D. while incarcerated and making progress on other issues. "I kind of feel like a member of the family so I try to represent her here since she can't be here."

Another fundraiser may be on the horizon and according to several people at the event, the Seattle Police Department has done some preliminary interviews with key individuals connected to the case. Once final determination of the cause of death has been established a decision will be made whether or not it is a criminal case.