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EMAILED
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: T. Ellen Reich
(206) 658-2604
ellen@impactcapital.org

Impact Capital crowns 2011 BECU Gingerbread champion

SEATTLE - December 13, 2011 - Impact Capital's second annual Gingerbread Jubilee fundraiser took place on December 6, 2011 at FareStart in Seattle. Generously supported by Bank of America, BECU and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, this year's live gingerbread decorating competition featured teams from Compass Housing Alliance, Housing Hope and last year's champion, the Seattle Chinatown International District Development and Preservation Authority (SCIDpda). Impact Capital works with each of the competitors and FareStart, providing loans, technical assistance and grants to help them achieve their missions.

Over $30,000 was raised in support of the competing organizations and Impact Capital, a non-profit dedicated to supporting comprehensive community development throughout Washington State. Through its lending and community building programs, Impact Capital helps nonprofits develop community centers, build affordable housing and bring together communities to create safe, vibrant neighborhoods where residents can live, work, and raise a family.

Each team, with the help of an architect, created unadorned gingerbread structures representative of "what community means" to their organization. The timed competition allotted 65 minutes for each team to decorate their structure with the candy and icing provided. The mystery ingredient, an ice cream cone, had to be incorporated into each structure. As an added challenge to the defending champions, SCIDpda had to transport their structure from the second level to the judging area on the main floor. Judges included Gary Oakland from BECU, Christi Gordon from Bank of America and Chef Emily Moore from Le Cordon Bleu, and votes were collected from the audience.

Team "Communitree" from Compass Housing Alliance partnered with SMR Architects to create a tree, representing community rising up to meet the need of its members, rooted in hope compassion, faith and service with a strong trunk and sheltering protective branches. SCIDpda and SMR Architects as the "Ginja Ninjas" teamed to create a Latern, Maneki Neko and Take-Out Box complete with sushi - all symbols of the International District.

It was the "Hope Builders" from Housing Hope and Dykeman that took the title of 2011 BECU Gingerbread Champions. Their structure featured the continuum of service offered by Housing Hope, starting at the bottom with Emergency Shelter, with ladders leading to Transitional Housing, Permanent Rental with Services, Affordable Rentals, and finally Home Ownership. Since 1987, Housing Hope has been serving Snohomish County, coordinating the response to the issues of homelessness and affordable housing. Their executive director Ed Petersen said "It was amazing to see our vision of what community means captured in gingerbread. The fact that it resonated with the crowd and the judges was uplifting. I'm proud of our team for their creativity, teamwork and the outstanding outcome."

This unique event was made possible in part by Bank of America, BECU, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Banner Bank, Foster Pepper, Keybank and Umpqua Bank.

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Impact Capital’s mission is to help build and sustain vibrant neighborhoods in underserved communities throughout Washington.