Nov 5, 2007

Pacific Market Center tenant, Park Avenue Agents, hosts sample sale holiday fundraising event

Seattle – Park Avenue Agents of Pacific Market Center will host its 15th “Gift for Life” sample sale benefiting The American Foundation for Aids Research (amfAR). Donated merchandise including everything from gifts, toys and books to home accessories will be available for purchase by the public in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood beginning November 7 and will continue until December 30, 2007.

The Seattle sample sale features donated products from many Pacific Market Center wholesale showrooms including Bettencourt, OneCoast, and Bunches. All unsold merchandise will be donated to local AIDS related charities such as the Children’s Hospital Thrift Shops and the City of Hope Thrift Shops.

The “Gift for Life” sample sale will take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday through Sunday at the corner of Western and Lenora at 2100 Western Avenue in Seattle. The sample sale will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. For more information, please visit giftforlife.org.

“We are thrilled to bring the “Gift for Life” fundraising event back to Seattle this year,” said Heidi Park of Park Avenue Agents. “With the holiday season right around the corner, this event gives consumers the perfect opportunity to shop at wholesale while supporting a great cause at the same time.”

Park Avenue Agents is a leading representative of books, children’s products, toys, puzzles, games for all ages, party goods, infant apparel, and fashion accessories. The recently expanded showroom at Pacific Market Center represents well-known publishers and manufactures, such as Penguin Book Group, Running Press, and Dover, GeoCental and Safari Ltd., John N. Hansen toys and games, Molly ‘n Me fashion accessories for the young at heart, Stephen Joseph infant and children’s products and much more.

“The Northwest has always been a leader in supporting “Gift for Life,” said Lisa Goodman, marketing director for Pacific Market Center and “Gift for Life” board member. In a region with such a strong retail representation and passion for philanthropy, we expect this year to be another great success.”

Founded in 1992 by a small group of gift industry professionals, “Gift for Life” has raised more than $4 million nationally for amfAR with the Seattle store raising more than $140,000 in the last 15 years. The “Gift for Life” mission in cooperation with amfAR is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. amfAR has invested more than $250 million through its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide. “Gift for Life” is active in eight other markets across the United States including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco.

About Pacific Market Center

Pacific Market Center is the leading permanent wholesale market on the west coast, featuring the latest in home furnishings, accessories and gift products. The industry destination for buyers in the Western United States, Canada and beyond, Pacific Market Center offers permanent showrooms on five floors featuring thousands of product lines for a wide selection of merchandise to help buyers keep up with every trend affecting their consumers. Pacific Market Center draws thousands of buyers from more than 30 channels of distribution including high-end department stores, corporate, specialty retailers, home furnishings, kitchenware, events, gourmet food, hospitality, garden/outdoor living, salons & spas, wineries, Internet, and regional chain outlets. Located in Seattle’s Design District, Pacific Market Center is open to the trade only. For more information, visit pacificmarketcenter.com. Pacific Market Center is owned and managed by The Benaroya Companies.