2007 Candlelight Dinner Dance – "Come Dance With The Stars"
Act One Guild 2007 Candlelight Dinner Raises $300,000
Fund-A-Need Brings In $146,000 for the Grand Drape
BELLEVUE, WA. (Nov. 6, 2007) – More than 325 PACE supporters filled the Hyatt Regency Bellevue on Saturday night, November 3, 2007, for the 4th annual Candlelight Dinner sponsored by the members of Act One Guild for Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE). The Guild, active since 2003, promotes the mission of PACE through their philanthropic endeavors.
An impressive list of private individuals and corporate sponsors attended the 2007 Candlelight Dinner, "Come Dance with The Stars" which featured a special performance by professional ballroom dancers from the Arthur Murray Studio and dancing to the music of Keith Baggerly and the big band sound of Roadside Attraction. Four accomplished dance couples from the Studio combined their artistic and athletic talents to perform several styles of competition ballroom dancing throughout the evening.
The main fundraising attraction of the evening was the Fund-A-Need for the Grand Drape Fund at PACE. Nearly $146,000 was raised, in part by two separate gifts of $25,000 each from Chuck and Karen Lytle and Kemper and Betty Freeman, co-chairs of the Campaign For PACE, and a gift of $10,000 from Skip and Debra Rowley. In total, the event raised nearly $300,000.
In his presentation that evening Executive Director and CEO of PACE, John Haynes, stated, "A Grand Drape may part, rise, drape, or sink, but no matter how it is designed to open or close, it is a splendid herald for the activity on stage, and its rich color and plush folds enhance the feeling that something magical is about to happen." He went on to describe the possible performers to appear from behind the future Grand Drape. "When the 'curtain rises', a season at PACE will feature artists of the stature of Wynton Marsalis, Ren'ee Fleming, Yo-Yo Ma, Diana Krall, and Youssou N'Dour; classical legends like Itzhak Perlman; popular performers, like Marvin Hamlish; world artists like Ravi Shankar; as well as New Orleans jazz, Delta Blues, great Divas, Irish fiddlers, country stars, and chamber music.
"We are delighted to have surpassed our goal of $100,000 for the curtain by nearly half again as much money. This was an exciting and glorious evening," said Nancy Walker, President of the Act One Guild. Richard Foley, formerly with KOMO-TV, served in a dual role as Master of Ceremonies and Fund-A-Need Auctioneer for the event.
"Since its inception, the Act One Guild has raised more than $700,000 for PACE through the four annual Candlelight Dinners," said Suzanne Hutchinson, director of Guilds for PACE. "Next year the annual Guild event is to be held on November 1, 2008 and it will be a dinner and auction featuring the works of local and regional artists." According to Ms. Hutchinson, "the Guild's sights are set on raising $1,000,000 for PACE by the Grand Opening date of September 2010."