For Immediate Release
March 11, 2011
Media Contact
Michael Seiwerath
Office: 206.204.3840
Environmental leader Denis Hayes to speak at
Capitol Hill Housing’s Top of the Town dinner
Denis Hayes, visionary leader and president of the Bullitt Foundation has devoted his career to environmental causes. On Wednesday, April 13th, Denis will be the guest speaker at Top of the Town, Capitol Hill Housing’s annual fundraising dinner. Top of the Town begins an intimate evening with cocktails in the Sorrento Hotel’s Penthouse Suite followed by a dinner created by the hotel’s Hunt Club restaurant.
Since 1992, Hayes has been president of the Bullitt Foundation in Washington State. Among many other awards, Hayes has received the national Jefferson Awards Medal for Outstanding Public Service. Time Magazine named him as “Hero of the Planet” in 1999. Hayes founded the Earth Day Network and expanded it to more than 180 nations. During the Carter Administration, Hayes became head of the Solar Energy Research Institute (now known as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory), but left this position when the Reagan administration cut funding for the program.
Hayes continues to be a leader in environmental and energy policy. The Bullitt Foundation is currently developing a pioneering living building on 15th and Madison, the Cascadia Center for Sustainable Design & Construction. The foundation’s Urban Ecology program focuses of supporting progressive planning, smart growth and green architecture.
The Top of the Town fundraiser generates resources to support Capitol Hill Housing’s mission to meet the need for affordable housing and preserve neighborhood character in Seattle. CHH is both providing affordable housing and preventing homelessness by supporting individuals and families whose average income is under $17,000 a year. As a vital partner in community efforts around the development of the Capitol Hill light rail station, the 12th Avenue Initiative, Pike/ Pine revitalization and other neighborhood issues, CHH is deeply involved in community development efforts on Capitol Hill.
Tickets to the Top of the Town event are $200, and sponsorship starts at $2,500. Because of the tremendous demand for tickets, the event will likely sell out in a few weeks. For ticket information contact Elizagrace Madrone at 206.204.3842 or .
Union Bank is the Presenting Sponsor and Hunters Capital the Signature Sponsor for Top of the Town 2011. Event Sponsors are Chase Bank, GGLO, Rafn Company, SMR Architects, Vulcan, Sprague Israel Giles Insurance, Kantor Taylor Nelson Boyd & Evatt PC, Seattle University, Walsh Construction and Synergy Construction, and Watson & McDonell. Supporting sponsors are Seattle Central Community College, Absher Construction, Deloitte and the Sorrento Hotel.
ABOUT CAPITOL HILL HOUSING: Capitol Hill Housing provides affordable housing and leads community development efforts— helping families, immigrants and the recently homeless. Based in Capitol Hill, we have properties in nine Seattle neighborhoods. Since 1976, we have served low and moderate income residents and worked to improve the Capitol Hill neighborhood for all.
CHH helps people of limited means have a home. We provide a secure, affordable home to more than 1,600 people each night, including hundreds of children. We place a special focus on affordable housing for families. In neighborhoods where two and three bedroom homes are rare, CHH works to develop new large apartments.
Many CHH residents come from a situation of poverty. Our residents include single parents and their children, senior citizens bankrupted by medical bills, and refugee families escaping political strife. Living in a CHH apartment allows them to afford other necessities such as food, transportation and healthcare. Hundreds of our neighbors across the city have an affordable home because of Capitol Hill Housing.
Our Community Development work focuses on transit oriented development, preservation of historic buildings, creating walkable neighborhoods and supporting a thriving commerical district on Capitol Hill. We strive to impact specific households we serve as well as the entire community.
CHH currently owns and operates 42 buildings across Seattle, including historic Seattle apartments and new, award-winning projects. We are proud to develop buildings in a community context and provide affordable homes that strengthen the neighborhoods we live in.