Evening of Hope 2011 raises $555,743 for The Market Foundation

Posted by Wilson PR on Feb 9, 2011 in Blog | Comments Off on Evening of Hope 2011 raises $555,743 for The Market Foundation

Way to go!

 

The Seattle Hotel hosted its14th Annual "Evening of Hope" held at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel on Feb. 5. The smash fundraising dinner and gala auction raised $555,743 to benefit the Pike Place Market Foundation for its second consecutive year and celebrated the work of honorees Sheri and Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee Company.

 

"The Seattle Hotel Association members were honored to have the Market Foundation as our encore beneficiary and to salute the work that Howard and Sheri have done both for the Market Foundation and the Market itself," said Howard Cohen, Seattle Hotel Association president, and vice president and general manager of Best Western Executive Inn, Best Western Loyal Inn and Sixth Avenue Inn.

 

The crowd roared with excitement during the live auction in The Fairmont Olympic Hotel’s Spanish Ballroom.  Auction items included one-of-a-kind, compelling getaways, dining opportunities, and luxury gift items. Top bids went to the Starbucks "Tree to Cup" Costa Rican Coffee Adventure, which sold three times for $14,000 each; the “Afternoon Tee” golf, dining and overnight package with local celebrities – Tom Douglas and Craig Schafer, sold for $10,000; and the “Night to Remember for 12” dining and overnight package at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, which sold for $8,000.

 

Howard and Sheri Schultz were honored for their continued support of the Seattle community at they celebrate Starbucks’ 40^th anniversary. The celebration of their work transcended the business of coffee and applauded the connection to community that the Schultz’s have fostered in their service to others. For more than a decade, Sheri Schultz has led the Schultz Family Foundation and tirelessly advocated for at-risk youth and families, locally and abroad, among other causes.

 

The Market Foundation will receive proceeds from ticket sales, the “Raise the Paddle” bidding, and auction purchases. The funds raised will support the Market’s four human service agencies – Pike Market Child Care & Preschool, Pike Market Medical Clinic, Pike Market Senior Center, and Downtown Food Bank.

 

"Our mission would be impossible without the support of our community partners like the Seattle Hotel Association, especially as the demand for the Market's human service agencies continue to grow," said Marlys Erickson, executive director of the Market Foundation. "This money will help us transform the lives of the 10,000 low-income and elderly residents of downtown Seattle who rely on these services each year."

 

The Evening of Hope Gala Committee wishes to thank its generous sponsors: Gold Sponsors – USA Today and Tomlinson Linen Service; Silver Sponsors – Bogard & Johnson LLC, Clise Properties, Inc., Red Lion Hotel Fifth Avenue, Premera Blue Cross, Safeco Insurance, and Starbucks Coffee; and Bronze Sponsors – The Commerce Bank of Washington, Inn at the Market, Green Suites Hotel Solutions, and Turner Construction.

 

About The Market Foundation

The Market Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve the traditions and diversity of the Pike Place Market neighborhood by supporting the Market's human service agencies – Pike Market Child Care & Preschool, Pike Market Senior Center & Downtown Food Bank, and Pike Market Medical Clinic. Since 1982, the Market Foundation has raised over $16 million for these agencies, which serve more than 10,000 low-income, homeless and elderly residents of downtown Seattle each year. For more information, visit www.pikeplacemarketfoundation.org.

 

About the Seattle Hotel Association

The Seattle Hotel Association is a nonprofit, volunteer organization comprised of 58 member hotels located in the City of Seattle. The Seattle Hotel Association works to promote the economic well being of the hospitality industry in Seattle. It supports strategies to encourage the Seattle job creation in tourism and other industries, and a safe and clean city environment for residents, workers and tourists alike. The Association has promoted charitable donations by individual hotels since 1996 and is the force behind the annual Evening of Hope Gala. The Association has raised more than $5 million in its charitable efforts to date. Learn more at www.seattlehotelassociation.org.