Sponsors Announced for 2009 Candlelight Dinner to Benefit PACE
Contact: Cheryl Engstrom for PACE
425.487.0682, 
BELLEVUE, WA. (Sept. 24, 2009) – Three long-time supporters of Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE) will sponsor the Act One Guild's 2009 Candlelight Dinner – A Toast to PACE: An Evening With Pink Martini fundraising gala on Saturday, November 7th. Microsoft, Tiffany & Co., and Ms. Patty Edwards have each contributed $25,000 toward the success of the Guild's sixth annual signature black-tie event, to be held in the recently opened Grand Ballroom in the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.
Microsoft's gift will help underwrite the event, continuing their record of support for PACE, which includes nearly $1.2 million in donations and board involvement. Brad Smith, senior vice president and general counsel for Microsoft, joined the Board of Directors in 2007 and serves as Campaign Division Co-Chair for the Public Sector with his wife Kathy Surace-Smith. "PACE will be an exciting addition to the rapidly developing Eastside region, home to a significant number of our Puget Sound-based workforce and their families," said Jane Broom, community relations manager for Microsoft. "Supporting the Guild's efforts through the Candlelight Dinner is one way Microsoft can help share with others the value that PACE will bring to all of us who live and work on the Eastside."
Tiffany & Co. has been an annual sponsor of the Candlelight Dinner since it began in 2004, and is responsible for nearly $100,000 in donations through the Guild in support of PACE. John Hepler, director of the Bellevue Tiffany & Co. and newly elected to the PACE Board of Directors, has once again offered to participate in the 2009 event. "PACE is such an important addition to our Eastside communities that we at Tiffany & Co. want to do all that we can to bring it to life. Our gift through this annual sponsorship is one simple way to do that."
Ms. Patty Edwards has been involved with PACE since 2007, when she invited friends, neighbors, and associates to a Party For PACE at her home for an update on the project and to announce her $50,000 gift to the Campaign. Last year at the 2008 Candlelight Dinner & Bench Auction, she provided the Challenge Gift for a Raise-The-Paddle to jumpstart the PACE Endowment. Ms. Edwards matched the first $50,000 in donations, dollar for dollar, and the Endowment raised over $150,000 that evening. "I'm proud to support PACE, and if my contributions will help stimulate additional giving to this important, worthy cause then I'm thrilled." she says. "I am excited be a sponsor this year and lend my name to encourage participation in what is anticipated to be a truly memorable evening with a performance by Pink Martini in the dramatic new Hyatt Regency Grand Ballroom."
2009 Candlelight Dinner – A Toast to PACE: An Evening With Pink Martini is presented by the Act One Guild for PACE, a group of more than 40 women formed in 2003, who have dedicated themselves to raising community awareness and support for the future performing arts center in downtown Bellevue.
"Candlelight Dinner is a wonderful event and a natural place to showcase entertainers and performances one might enjoy at PACE in the near future," says Christina Greene, development associate for guilds and special events at PACE. "The announcement of three major sponsors, just as the Guild prepares to host their first performance-based event with Pink Martini headlining, comes at a perfect time."
This year, funds to benefit PACE will be raised through sponsorships, table and ticket sales, and a Raise-The-Paddle to fund a special need. For more information about how you can get involved, please contact Christina Greene at 425.462.0099 or visit www.actoneguild.org/events, where you can make a secure online reservation.
About Performing Arts Center Eastside:
With a 2000-seat Concert Hall and a 250-seat Cabaret, Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE) will bring renowned musicians, dancers, actors, and entertainers to Puget Sound audiences. 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 will be located in downtown Bellevue on the corner of NE 10th Street and 106th Avenue NE. The Campaign For PACE has raised more than $32 million to date.