BELLEVUE, WA (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Microsoft Corp. has pledged $1 million to a 2,000-seat theater planned for downtown Bellevue, Washington, organizers of the Performing Arts Center Eastside, PACE, reported.
PACE organizers received half of the money up front and will get the rest over the next two years. A Microsoft executive will also join the PACE board of directors, according to the Seattle Times.
The company decided to make the donation because the theater will benefit employees and the community, including children who will see performances and perform there themselves, Jane Broom, senior program managers for the local community affairs, told the paper.
“It’s very important to us that our employees and their families have an opportunity to access a vibrant and diverse arts and culture scene,” Broom said.
PACE has now secured $16 million of its planned $100 million budget, most of which will come from private donations. Groundbreaking is scheduled for fall 2007, with the facility opening in 2009. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
