“We are touched to have been granted this very special honor,” said George D. Bartell, Chairman of the Board. “Our family appreciates the tireless efforts of the Seattle Hotel Association and Mary’s Place in providing resources, services and hope for our neighbors without permanent homes.”
The Evening of Hope Gala, now in its 20th year, will be held at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel on Saturday, February 4, 2017, in the elegant Spanish Ballroom.
“The important kind of support involves attention, awareness, truly caring about everyone in our community, and to sacrifice for them every day. Raising funds to help others is not to feed our egos, but to provide for others who need help in a way that they can help themselves, which is how we came to select Mary’s Place as our beneficiary,” stated Rene Neidhart, Seattle Hotel Association’s Gala Chair.
The Bartell family history has deep ties to the community. George H. Bartell, Sr. finished his pharmacy trade apprenticeship and graduated from pharmacy school in Kansas in the 1880s. At the age of 19, George led a shipment of horses on a train heading west and arrived in Seattle in 1887. He purchased his first store on 27th & Jackson in 1890.
Under his stewardship, the Bartell Drug Company was able to prosper through changing times, including the Great Depression. George’s leadership brought customers better pricing by breaking a price-fixing scheme between wholesalers and his competitors. His foresight created a gathering place for Prohibition era patrons by offering in-store soda fountains, and his innovative spirit brought new services, becoming one of the first drugstore chains to offer film-processing.
Bartell’s is the oldest and largest family-owned drugstore chain in the nation. With its 64 locations in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties, Bartell’s is Puget Sound’s premiere pharmacy. The family run company provides jobs for more than 1,800 employees, which are all extremely important to the fabric of the company and the surrounding communities.
Currently, Bartell’s offers international travel clinics, 24-hour stores, digital kiosks, walk-in care clinics, and utilizes technological advances enabling customers to track their own immunization records. The Bartell family regularly supports local charities with a focus on programs that directly benefit the region.
About Evening of Hope
The Seattle Hotel Association created the “Evening of Hope” gala in 1996 to showcase the organization’s effort to make a difference for people in the community. Over the past 19 years, proceeds from this annual event have benefited many local charities by leveraging the collective strength of 58 downtown Seattle member hotels. All proceeds from the Gala benefit a selected charity. To date, the Association has raised more than $5.6 million.
About Mary’s Place
Mary’s Place empowers women, children, and families to reclaim their lives by providing shelter, nourishment, and hope in a safe community. They provide resources for employment, housing, and medical care. Mary’s Place operates six area emergency night shelters, offering families experiencing homelessness a safe place inside and together.
About Seattle Hotel Association
Established in 1986, the Seattle Hotel Association promotes tourism, street safety, industry related education, and reinvesting in the local Seattle community through philanthropy. The Association works closely with the Mary’s Place, homeless advocates, local business organizations, and human service providers to reduce the city’s homeless population. The objective of the organization is to develop an effective working relationship between hotel member properties; promote the highest standards of the lodging industry among the association’s members; provide legislative and regulatory advocacy on matters pertaining to the lodging and tourism industry, and create a favorable climate that promotes the economic well-being of the hospitality industry.
