11.13.2015
Seattle Center Monorail & Downtown Seattle Association to Hold VIP Event for Treehouse Families
Foster Kids and Families Move to the Front of the Line for Annual “Ride Into the Holidays” Event
WHAT: The Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) and Seattle Monorail Services are joining forces to provide a unique holiday event for kids in foster care and their families. This year is the fifth anniversary of the annual event where Treehouse families are invited to gather on the Seattle Center Monorail platform for a holiday celebration (including treats, beverages, and entertainers), before boarding the Monorail Red Train for an exclusive Treehouse client-only ride to Westlake. During this VIP event, Treehouse kids will be escorted from the Monorail to a front-row seat for the annual tree lighting ceremony. After the lighting, they’ll be invited to pick a horse on the DSA’s Carousel for the “first ride of the season.” 150 Treehouse kids and families are expected for the event.
WHY: Understanding that the holidays can be an especially difficult time for kids in foster care, Seattle Monorail Services and the Downtown Seattle Association have teamed up to do something special for Treehouse kids. During the holiday season, kids in foster care are reminded of the family they have temporarily – or sometimes permanently – lost, and holiday activities are often cost-prohibitive for their caregivers. For many of the kids, this event will be their first experience riding the Monorail, riding a carousel, and possibly celebrating the holidays. The carousel whirls in Westlake Park through New Year’s Day, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Treehouse.
WHERE: The Seattle Center Monorail platform located at the Seattle Center, adjacent to the Space Needle and the EMP Museum.
WHEN: Friday, November 27 (day after Thanksgiving) 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Platform celebration will begin at 3:00 p.m.
The Red Train will depart for Westlake Center at 4:00 p.m.
The official tree lighting and Macy’s star lighting will occur at 5 p.m.
The Carousel “first ride” will take place shortly thereafter
About Treehouse
Founded in 1988, Treehouse is Washington’s leading nonprofit organization addressing the essential education and enrichment needs of kids in foster care. Treehouse helps 8,000 kids in foster care each year through programs that help them succeed in school, fulfill key material needs, and provide important childhood experiences every child deserves. Treehouse has set an ambitious goal that foster youth in King County will graduate from high school at the same rate as their peers with a plan for their future by 2017. Learn more at treehouseforkids.org.
*Members of the media are invited to join the event on the Seattle Monorail Platform, and are free to record inside the Monorail Red Train
** A Treehouse spokesperson will be available for comment
*** For Televised Media: Due to confidentiality laws, faces of children in foster care cannot be filmed. We can accommodate alternative shots of participants, and arrange for on-site interviews with caregivers and youth participants who have been adopted out of care.
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