The Rotary Club of Bellevue Selects PACE as Beneficiary of Annual Auction
Contact:
Cheryl Engstrom, for PACE, 425.487.0682, 
Jennifer Pineda for Rotary Club of Bellevue, 425.653.4331, Jennifer.pineda@kindering.org
BELLEVUE, WA. (Sep 7, 2006) – The Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE) and the Rotary Club of Bellevue announce today that PACE will be the single beneficiary of proceeds from the Rotary's annual Dinner and Auction, slated for April 28, 2007 at the Meydenbauer Center. The theme for the auction is Raising the Curtain, which appropriately reflects their desire to shine a bright light on the performing arts and the new 2,000-seat venue coming to Bellevue in 2009.
According to J. Robert Ward, Chair of the 2007 Rotary Club of Bellevue's Dinner and Auction, the Club selected PACE "because we believe that the addition of PACE to downtown Bellevue is a significant and critical next step in the downtown development. This new Center will bring world-class performances to Bellevue, making the performing arts more accessible to the broader Eastside community."
Proceeds from the annual auctions benefit the Bellevue Rotary Foundation, which distributes approximately $125,000 each year to local and international human services organizations. In previous years, the Rotary Club of Bellevue has often distributed net proceeds of the auction to two nonprofit organizations on the Eastside. "This year," according to Ward, "we decided to designate a single beneficiary for the event to have more of an impact. We made PACE our recipient because we believe so strongly in the importance of this project."
"We could not be happier to have been selected," says Linda Bonomi, director of development for PACE. "Not only will the donation propel us closer to our fundraising goal, but the endorsement of this prestigious group of influential business leaders is invaluable."
Auctioneers for the event are long-time actors/directors David Silverman (Monsters, Inc., 2001, The Simpsons Movie, 2007) and Matt Smith (Scent of a Woman, 1992, Sleepless in Seattle, 1993). "With these outstanding film industry members as the auctioneers and emcees for the event and PACE as the recipient, we anticipate this year's auction will be the best we have ever had," says Ward.
About the Rotary Club of Bellevue:
Rotary is a service organization of business and professional men and women worldwide, who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and work toward world understanding and peace. The Rotary Club of Bellevue, established in 1961, is one of the oldest and largest in the state and now has more than 200 business and community leaders committed to service on a local, national, and international level.
About Performing Arts Center Eastside:
Performing Arts Center Eastside is a 2,000-seat premier regional center for the performing arts. Its mission is to enrich cultural life with a wide diversity of live entertainment, arts, and education. PACE will stimulate the arts region-wide; attract new audiences; heighten arts awareness and education; provide a performance home for select area arts organizations; and serve as a cultural center for the Eastside.
PACE plans to open in 2009 and it will be located in downtown Bellevue on the corner of NE 10th Street and 106th Avenue NE. The $100 Million Capital and Endowment Campaign has raised $15 million with 100% board participation and the gift of land valued at $8 million.