Every year, we host an annual gala and auction to help fund raise to continue to bring quality artists to 
the local community. This year’s theme was Peace, Love, & KPC: A Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Woodstock and took place at W Bellevue on Saturday, October 12, 2019. With this new venue and exciting theme, guests came dressed in Woodstock attire, flower crowns, and bell-bottom pants. It was definitely a night to remember!
Each year, KPC welcomes 260 arts patrons, corporate officers, business owners, and community leaders to an unforgettable evening filled with dining, music, friends, and giving. This year KPC raised over $239,400 to support the theater, and $99,300 of that was from Raise the Paddle gifts, which was a record breaking amount and the largest Raise the Paddle in KPC history. This annual fundraiser helps to ensure that KPC can continue to present world class programming on our stage, deliver educational experiences, and give our community a stage to perform on. Thanks to the support of these individuals and businesses, KPC is able to bring world-class artists to Kirkland and empower 200 local artists who use the theater every year.
During both the silent and live auctions guests socialized, posed in front of a Woodstock themed photo booth, and delighted in wine from the gala wine sponsor Avennia. Guests also enjoyed live performances by local favorite Geoffrey Castle and 2019 Artist of the Year winner Rise Up, then danced the night away to local band Herding Cats.
This year, KPC honored Doreen Marchione, posthumously with the 2019 Kirkland Performance Center Champion of the Arts award, in recognition of her lifelong commitment to support, sustain, and promote art and culture in our community. Many of her family was in attendance and Joan McBride and Penny Sweet, Mayor of Kirkland, gave a special tribute to Doreen’s life and work in Kirkland.
Peace, Love, & KPC was a huge success for Kirkland Performance Center with the help of Chris McKenzie the 2019 Gala Chair, along with KPC board members and staff. Thank you to all of our event sponsors; Avennia, The Boeing Company, USI Insurance Services, The Grape Choice, Auxano Advisors, Jim Feek with Conover Life Insurance Services, Bridal Trails Family Dentistry, and Mainstreet Property Group. And a special thank you to Advisory Board members Susan Raunig and Kathe Fowler for their work procuring all of the wine for the event.