What a night! On December 5th, 2024, almost 200 Backpack Brigade supporters came together to help END weekend hunger for homeless and food insecure kids in King County. And WOW, did they ever raise some money! In one evening, Backpack Brigade raised a record setting $260,000!
We had so much fun doing it, too. Guests had a great time during cocktail hour, snacking on little bites provided by Madres Kitchen Catering and sipping from a bar stocked by Hand of God Winery, while playing in the photobooth, vying for items at the silent auction, and buying items to Fill the Backpack.
As guests settled into their seats for the main program, Nasirah Canada and Lanie Shapiro of Franklin High School serenaded them with an emotional rendition of "I Can't Lose You" from Frozen. Then, Master of Ceremonies Troy McVicker got the party started with a little game of “Heads and Tails”, with the victorious Melody Reeder taking home the prize basket of Beecher’s Cheese.
Guests dined on a buffet feast (also catered by Madres Kitchen) catering to both omnivore and vegetarian preferences, and even including many gluten-free options. After dinner, the real fun began. In a series of thrilling bidding wars, Troy auctioned off premier items from vacations to high-end adventures here in Seattle, raising $29,850! Finally, tables competed to be the highest bidder and race for their end-of-night treats during the Dessert Dash, which earned an astonishing $18,650.
We are so grateful for everyone who came out to help raise money, celebrate our success, and bring awareness to the critical issue of weekend hunger. Thank you to our sponsors: Brighton Jones, Susman Godfrey LLP, Bahareh Legal, Mix Sanders Thompson PLLC, and Deloitte, many of whom not only sponsored the event, but sponsored tables and filled them with enthusiastic bidders as well!
Thank you to all the businesses and individuals who donated items for our live, silent, and online auctions, to everyone who purchased tickets and brought friends, and especially to those donors – anonymous, but you know who you are – who generously offered $40,000 in matching funds to bring our totals even higher. Thanks to you, over 5,000 kids in King County will be well fed this winter. On behalf of every single one of those kids, and from the entire staff of Backpack Brigade, thank you! We can’t wait to do it again next year!
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