June 2007

Bellevue Rotary Club's Raising the Curtain Raises $650,000 for PACE

(Left to right) John Baldwin, President, Bellevue Rotary; John Haynes, Executive Director and CEO, PACE; Bob Ward, Chairman, Bellevue Rotary Auction

With a record-breaking 640 guests in the audience, the Bellevue Rotary, at its annual auction held Saturday, April 28^th, exceeded its expectation to raise $500,000 for Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE). At the May 29^th weekly Bellevue Rotary Meeting, Bob Ward, chairman of the Bellevue Rotary Auction, presented PACE Executive Director and CEO John Haynes with a check for $650,000. The annual auction, held this year at the Meydenbauer Center, also benefits the Bellevue Rotary Foundation which distributes funds each year to local human services organizations.

Chuck Lytle, Campaign For PACE Co-Chair

Bob Ward stated, "Bellevue Rotary is delighted to have exceeded our original goal and, with the incredible generosity of the evening's attendees, we knew the final tally would be impressive."

Bellevue civic and community leaders attending the 2007 Bellevue Rotary Auction demonstrated their commitment to PACE during the Fund-A-Need section of the live auction. Chuck Lytle, a Co-Chair of the Campaign For PACE and PACE Board member, kicked off the bidding with a $100,000 challenge to match dollar for dollar any donation. Immediately, CEO Dave Katri of Clark Nuber met the challenge with the announcement of a donation from Clark Nuber shareholders of $100,000 to commemorate the firm's 55^th year on the Eastside.

(Left to right) Steve Kipp, Corporate Vice President Communications, Comcast; Tony Ventrella, Comcast

Within minutes, Betty and Kemper Freeman announced a personal donation of $100,000 to PACE; the Freemans co-chair the Campaign For PACE with Chuck and Karen Lytle. The Lytles then made a second $100,000 Challenge gift for the audience to match. Jane Hague and Ed Springman offered a $25,000 Challenge at the $1,000 level, which inspired 40 $1,000 gifts. After all the bids were in, the audience had donated more than $600,000.

Three silent auctions and one live auction raised additional money for PACE and the Bellevue Rotary Foundation. The Finale live auction featured 17 "Theatre Frenzy" ticket items and 28 auction packages, some bringing in as much as $4,900.

"We at PACE are overwhelmed by the generosity and enthusiasm expressed by the people who attended this spectacular event," said John Haynes, Executive Director and CEO of PACE. "The Bellevue Rotary members did an outstanding job of not only Raising the Curtain, but also raising the bar in terms of their annual auction. The Bellevue Rotary Auction moved us closer to 'the tipping point,' at which PACE will become not just possible for this community, nor merely even probable, but inevitable."