The annual ‘Hats On for Highline’ fundraiser event will be held from Noon – 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 19 at Emerald Downs in Auburn.

This fun event raises money for the Highline Medical Center Foundation, and involves wearing hats, great food, horse racing, silent auction, raffle and much more. As he did last year, STB Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer will serve as MC, so be sure to come heckle him while he wears many different, silly hats (see our coverage of last year’s event here).

“Hats On for Highline is the perfect mixture of fun, excitement and philanthropic spirit,” reads an announcement. “Adorned with fabulous, creative race day hats, attendees to our Emerald Downs event enjoy a private viewing facility, gourmet buffet, exclusive betting booths and the opportunity to participate in a silent auction and raffle. While not all will have the luck of the horses behind them, everyone is sure to walk away a winner knowing they help raise funds to ensure that our community members have access to compassionate, quality healthcare.”

Tickets are $60 each, and can be purchased online here.

And don’t forget the fun Hat Contest, with prizes for the following categories:

• Most Creative
• Most Vintage
• Best Ensemble (hat and outfit)
• Most Creative Kid (12 years & under)

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Sponsoring the events hosted by Highline Medical Center Foundation is a great opportunity to show your organization’s support of top-quality healthcare in our community. As your partner for a healthier community, we value the involvement of local businesses and are dedicated to building lasting, meaningful partnerships.

Sponsorship Opportunities include:

Presenting Sponsor: $5,000.00

• Includes Jockey Sponsor plus:
• Recognition as “Presenting Sponsor”
• Opportunity to include materials in event grab bags
• Company name listed in Healthy Living magazine

Jockey Sponsor: $3,000.00

• Includes Track Sponsor plus:
• Verbal recognition at event
• Company logo on event printed materials

Track Sponsor: $1,500.00

• Includes Table Sponsor plus:
• Company name will be on race track
• Listed on Highline event signage
• Company name listed on event invitations
• Company hyperlink on Foundation website
• Company name on event printed materials
• Company logo on Foundation website

Table Sponsor: $500

• Company name listed on Foundation website
• Recognition on internal electronic donor wall
• Recognition on Highline intranet and internal promotions
• Company name displayed on table
• 8 complimentary attendee tickets

Please contact Sarah at 206.375.2155 to inquire about sponsorship opportunities for any of our annual events.

Current sponsors include:

Here’s more info about the event:

About Hats On for Highline
As our most unique annual event, Hats On for Highline is the perfect mixture of fun, excitement and philanthropic spirit. Adorned with fabulous, creative race day hats, attendees to our Emerald Downs event enjoy a private viewing facility, gourmet buffet, exclusive betting booths and the opportunity to participate in a silent auction and raffle. While not all will have the luck of the horses behind them, everyone is sure to walk away a winner knowing they help raise funds to ensure that our community members have access to compassionate, quality healthcare. This increasingly popular event will celebrate its 4th year running in 2012. This year’s event will take place from noon to 5 pm on Saturday, May 19th.

Tickets: $60

Silent Auction: With the support of our generous community, we are gearing up for a fabulous silent auction at this event featuring donated items from many local business. If you would like to donate an item to be included in the silent auction, please contact Sarah at 206.375.2155

How funds are used
Funds raised from our events are used to support important initiatives throughout the Highline Medical Center network and the populations we serve in Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Normandy Park, SeaTac, Tukwila, West Seattle, and White Center. In the past, funds from events have been used to:

• Help the child birth center with program support to safely deliver over 1,000 babies each year
• Fund comfort therapies, such as massage or music, to ensure hospice and cancer care patients are at ease
• Provide waivers to low-income families who otherwise would not be able to afford the prescriptions and medical devices they need as part of their recovery
• Build, renovate, and update facilities
• Help the Medical Center acquire state-of-the-art equipment, such as robotic surgery equipment, to ensure that our patients have local access to up-to-date technologies

Sponsorship:
Sponsoring the events hosted by Highline Medical Center Foundation is a great opportunity to show your organization’s support of top-quality healthcare in our community. As your partner for a healthier community, we value the involvement of local businesses and are dedicated to building lasting, meaningful partnerships. Please contact Sarah at 206.375.2155 to inquire about sponsorship opportunities for any of our annual events.

The combined efforts for last year’s event raised over $43,500 and resulted in their most successful fundraiser to date.

Here are a few photos from the event shot by STB photographer Michael Brunk. You can click individual images to view them larger:

Winners and judges of the 2011 hat competition.

Colorful hats provided nice contrast to the gray, wet weather.

Hats of all sizes, shapes and styles were on display at the 2011 "Hats On For Highline"

Horses heading down the front stretch at Emerald Downs enroute to the finish line.

Click image to see larger version.

There is less than one month until Opening Day at the Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market (sister site The Waterland Blog is a Sponsor), and what a day Saturday, June 2 will be – in its new location at the remodeled north end of the Des Moines Marina!

Coming off its most successful seasons in history (up 30% each of the past two years), the Market will have a new look during its seventh season, having outgrown the old space in the South Marina Park and moving into a true waterfront spot.

The word “Waterfront” in its name will be prominent as the location is right on the water where guest yachts are moored. Look for the new Boardwalk Bistro where you will be able to enjoy your favorite market foods while watching all the boating activities.

“Along with your favorite returning farmers, food and craft vendors, there will lots of new ones like Seattle Bagel and Total Europe, serving soups, hot dogs and sausages,” said Rikki Marohl, market manager. “Also new this year will be a Des Moines favorite, Auntie Irene’s, serving ice cream.”

The market again will feature its own wines, including last year’s favorite Waterfront White.

Opening Day activities will include a military color guard ceremony, presenting the emblem (US Flag). Other opening activities include classic cars on display, the Des Moines Arts Commission will be showcasing some local artists, radio station WARM 106.9 will be doing a remote broadcast and your pals at The Waterland Blog will be blogging live.

Don’t forget to bring your old musical instruments and donate them to the Rotary Music4Life program. They will be at the market the first three weekends in June. The program refurbishes the instruments and gives them to the Highline School students who can’t afford them.

Wayne Corey, Board President, recently commented on the upcoming season:

“We are really excited about the move to the North end of the Marina, as it will allow us to grow and expand, provide for more conveniences for shoppers and gives us greater flexibility every Saturday thru October.”

To keep up with all the current happenings at the market, please log onto the web site and sign up for our e-newsletter that comes out once a week. You can also keep up on the activities by frequently visiting The Waterland Blog!

The market will run every Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. until the end of October.

Here’s a video:

See you on OPENING DAY!