Nothing separates the generations more than music. By the time a child is eight or nine, he’s developed a passion for his own music that is even stronger than his passions for procrastination and weird clothes.
Bill Cosby
Indian Community Eastside Gala Raises $125,000 For Tateuchi Center
Total of $850,000 Raised Toward $1,000,000 Naming Gift
CONTACTS:
Linda Bonomi, Tateuchi Center
425.462.0092 | lbonomi@tateuchicenter.org
BELLEVUE, Wash. (Sept. 27, 2010) — The Indian Community Eastside (ICE) gala Sparkle & Spice — Bollywood in Bellevue raised $125,000 to benefit Tateuchi Center (formerly PACE). The event, held Friday, Sept. 24, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue, brought the total raised for the ICE Group Gift Campaign to $850,000 — their goal is to pool donations to contribute a $1 million gift, which will permanently name a space for the Indian Community Eastside inside the future Tateuchi Center.
The ICE Group Gift Campaign was the idea of Tateuchi Center Director Alka Badshah, who joined the Board in 2006 and also serves on the Building Committee. She is one of the Co-Chairs, along with Sita Vashee and Gillian Fernandes, of the Indian Community Eastside (ICE) Group Gift Committee. According to Badshah, “People of Indian heritage living on the Eastside are involved in all aspects of community-building, including business, arts, and education, where they are key contributors to the quality of life in our region.” She adds, “Dedicating and naming a space at Tateuchi Center offers us a valuable opportunity to make a thoughtful, lasting contribution to Eastside cultural life and to create a legacy for future generations.”
The Sparkle & Spice event brought together 250 friends, family members, colleagues, and associates to celebrate Indian culture and raise funds for the future performing arts center planned in downtown Bellevue. Sponsors for the event include Microsoft and Prithvi Information Solutions at the Emerald Level; JPMorgan Chase, MAQ Software, and Wipro Technologies at the Ruby Level; and Aditi Technologies, Northwest Face, Property Development Corporation, Rubie and Pradeep Singh, and The Ferguson Group of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney at the Pearl Level. This colorful event featured a savory and spicy dinner buffet accompanied by wine donated by Chateau St. Michelle; a comedy performance by Indian Comedian, Daniel Nainan, who also served as emcee; and folk Indian dance performances by Pratidhwani.
The centerpiece of the evening was a Fund-A-Need presentation by Tateuchi Center Executive Director and CEO John Haynes and Microsoft Senior Director of Community Affairs, Akhtar Badshah. The Fund-A-Need raised $100,000, 80% of the event proceeds, toward the completion of the ICE Group Gift Campaign. In celebration of the achievement, there was dancing until midnight, with DJ Aanshul mixing the music and a special opportunity to join in the fun with a Bhangra Dance lesson.
“The ICE Group Gift Campaign has offered us the opportunity to reach an important future audience of Tateuchi Center programs and services,” says Haynes. “We are committed to providing great entertainment experiences that reflect the diverse interests and honor the cultures and customs of our neighbors, with particular attention to the arts and artists of Pacific Rim and South Asian nations. We are very appreciative of the ICE Committee’s efforts, as they have helped create goodwill and excitement for Tateuchi Center throughout the community. Tateuchi Center will be honored to permanently recognize the collective contributions of ICE in the new Center.”
Joining Badshah in this endeavor are Committee members Sita Vashee, Gillian Fernandes, Mona Nadkarni, Manisha Chainani, and Leena Porwal. According to Badshah, “The Committee believes that their work on behalf of Tateuchi Center will enable cultural exchange and understanding that is important in today’s global society. This is an effort to share, educate, and respect our differences and our commonalities.“ Since the Group Gift Campaign began in 2008, the ICE Committee members have held events in their homes and met individually with friends, families, and business colleagues to introduce them to Tateuchi Center. The Committee is planning to raise the remaining $150,000 by the end of the year to complete the ICE Group Gift Campaign.
For more information about ICE, or to learn more about Tateuchi Center, please contact Linda Bonomi, Director of Development, at 425.462.0092.
About Tateuchi Center — formerly Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE) The new identity of Tateuchi Center, formerly known as PACE, celebrates a $25 million grant from the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation, one of the largest gifts ever given to a cultural organization in the Pacific Northwest. Poised to become one of the premier performing arts venues in the Pacific Northwest and the first of its kind in the burgeoning area across Lake Washington from Seattle, known throughout the region as “the Eastside,” Tateuchi Center is committed to the power of the Arts in human lives. The Center will present artistic, cultural, educational, and entertainment experiences of the highest quality — great performances that reflect the diverse interests, and honor the cultures and customs of its neighbors. It will expand arts education opportunities; provide a performance home for select regional arts organizations; promote the interests of working artists; engage and develop new audiences; encourage participation in the arts; contribute to the economic vitality of the region; and serve as a cultural center for Eastside residents. Tateuchi Center will be located in downtown Bellevue on the corner of NE 10th Street and 106th Avenue NE. The Tateuchi Center Campaign has raised $60M to date, and Groundbreaking is targeted for fall 2011.