There was wildly generous giving and even more gratitude at the Kraken’s first annual “Tidal Shift” gala on Saturday to celebrate and raise money for One Roof Foundation.
The silent and live auctions, plus a raffle and donations exceeded all expectations with a final total of just over $1 million. The money will go to support the work of the Foundation. The philanthropic arm of the Seattle Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena has three focus areas; ending youth homelessness, advancing environmental justice, and broadening access to play.
“Every dollar supports our impact pillars,” said Mari Horita, executive director of One Roof Foundation and the Kraken’s senior vice president for government relations & social impact. “Everything we've built together [starting before the team had its name and the arena construction was completed] has been rooted in our commitment to do things differently and to leave a positive and lasting impact on this region and the lives of everyone in it.”
The Tidal Shift event, in partnership with Amazon and Starbucks Reserve, was certainly an example of doing things differently. The team took over the floor of Climate Pledge Arena and transformed it, both into a dining space where diners enjoyed a sustainable foods menu curated by the arena’s executive chef, Molly De Mers, and a series of experiences that included a Filson Photo Booth, a gallery showing the Kraken’s journey from inception to today and a 20-foot replica of the Amazon sphere which also served as a champagne bar.
Guests were joined by Kraken players and management alongside notable Seattleites including KJ Wright, Jamal Crawford, Lana Condor, and Pat Monahan of Grammy Award-winning rock band, Train, who performed both an acoustic set and a concert. Several players joined them on stage to close out the night in a rendition of Tom Petty’s “Free Falling.”
“We are guided by the fundamental belief that the well-being of every person is tied to the well-being of every other person,” said Horita. “Issues like homelessness, inequity of opportunity for play, and climate change are not someone else's problem but affect all of us. We rely solely on third-party donations for doing our work. We thank you for being here – and bidding high and often.”
