‘There wasn’t a single thing left’: Seattle’s Bubbleman speaks out after van, equipment stolen in Ballard

Garry “Bubbleman” Golightly has been bringing joy to kids across the world for roughly 45 years with massive bubbles from handmade wands.

The local icon is currently facing a dilemma: His van was stolen in Ballard, along with all the equipment he’s gathered over the years.

Bubbleman joined “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio to explain how the community has stepped up to help him in a time of need, reminding him of how good people can be.

“About a quarter to midnight, my phone rang, and it was the City of Seattle,” Bubbleman said. “They said, ‘We found your van in the Fred Meyer’s parking lot in Ballard. There wasn’t a single thing left in there but a bottle of bubbles and a golf ball. Everything else, the rug, decorations, my mirror ornament, everything was taken out, and it’s such unique stuff. I don’t know what they could have done with it. I just can’t believe someone would take this equipment and throw this stuff out.”

From Boston to Seattle: Bubbleman’s 45-year journey of spreading joy

Bubbleman explained his origin story, coming from Boston, being tapped to perform in a parade in Vermont, and from there, traveling to Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Australia, London, Spain, and finally winding up in Seattle.

“I came up [to Seattle] for a performance competition, and I got thrown out of Westlake in five minutes,” Bubbleman said. “‘No bubbles on Westlake.’ Now, ever since, they’ve hired me down there. I got here 31 years ago, and I’ve been here ever since. Seattle has been really great to me.”

KIRO host Ursula Reutin asked where Bubbleman finds the motivation to do what he does and how he’s been able to do it for so long.

“It’s almost like a mission,” Bubbleman said. “The most natural thing is to interact with children in an organic way, where they put down the phones and the video games and you interact with them. Laughter is the best part, because you get those children laughing, and the parents like you making their kids laugh. I say to them, ‘I want you to know how to do what I do, because you know you can make them laugh.’ It’s not condescending; it’s just natural. They love to laugh, and they love to be sung to.”

Good Samaritan steps in to help Bubbleman after van theft

Ursula wanted to learn more about the immediate community support Bubbleman received after he discovered his van had been stolen. Luckily, a fan came to his rescue just in time.

“The first gentleman [to help] worked at QFC, and two hours after my van was stolen, he showed up and said, ‘Oh man, this is terrible. Listen, I’m going to be out of town for a week, here, take my car.’ And I had his car for a week,” Bubbleman said. “I would have been stranded, because I had no other way to get around. I was going to scope the Ballard scene down there, the homelessness, but the stick shift was just too hard to drive. I hadn’t driven one in years.”

KIRO host Gee Scott asked what kind of lasting legacy he wishes to leave behind, where 50-100 years from now, what would he want people who have met him to say of his character.

“There was a word I learned called altruism: That he gave without expecting anything in return. And that seems to be the habit I’m in,” Bubbleman said. “I’ve even given clothes off my back to people who just liked my clothes. I met an African American girl at a gas station, she was on crutches, one leg, named Nini, and she came in, ‘Hey, Bubbleman, I love those overalls, and I wanted to give them to her because I had three pairs.

“I went around for three weeks waiting for her to show up again, because I had a pair of overalls rolled up with a ribbon on them, and a $2 bill in every pocket,” Bubbleman continued. “And then she sat down at the curb, I said, ‘You better check the pockets.’ She was crying with joy, and I said, ‘You can make a pocket out of the other leg because you don’t need it.’ But she was grateful.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.