Pearl Jam Fans Host Seattle Pre-Concert Fundraisers to Celebrate Band’s The Home Shows & Support Homeless Initiatives
Wishlist Foundation, a Pearl Jam fan-run grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in its 12th year, is hosting pre-concert fundraisers for the Pearl Jam fan community to celebrate the band’s return to Seattle, August 8th and 10th at Safeco Field. The Wishlist fan fundraisers will be at Quality Athletics and the Showbox SoDo respectively, supporting Pearl Jam’s The Home Shows initiative.
In addition to bringing nearly 100,000 fans from around the world together, The Home Shows will spotlight efforts across the city and King County to address the region’s homelessness issue. Over the past 28 years, the City of Seattle’s population has grown by 40%. The region’s homelessness population is now the third largest in the country, with over 12,000 people living without shelter on any one night.
The Home Shows mark Pearl Jam’s first hometown appearance in 5 years, plus the largest headlining concert event in Seattle since the Rolling Stones’ two-night stint at the Kingdome in 1981.
Inspired by the band, Pearl Jam fans involved with Wishlist Foundation have been fundraising in their honor for the past 14 years. The Showbox SoDo fundraiser will be the largest Pearl Jam fan hosted gathering to date, featuring rock journalist Henrik Tuxen, local beloved Seattle musicians and other special guests that will be announced closer to the events.
I think our fans are very proactive in terms of fundraising for events before our shows. Wishlist Foundation…a really cool organization…organizes pre-concert events to raise money for nonprofits supported by our band. They do it of their own volition and they take care of each other and their communities. It always blows me away,
states Mike McCready, lead guitarist of Pearl Jam.
Since its inception in 2004, Wishlist Foundation has remained a 100% volunteer organization run by fans, raising over 1.3 million dollars for charitable organizations in the arenas of health and chronic illness, environmental causes, arts and education and social change. A pioneer in fan-based viral activism and leader in the Pearl Jam fan community, Wishlist Foundation sponsored events are the go-to destination for thousands of fans across the globe to gather before Pearl Jam and other related concerts, forge new friendships, all while uniting behind causes important to both the fans and band.
The Wednesday, August 8th Wishlist fundraiser is free and open to the public for ages 21 and over, located at Quality Athletics, 121 S King St., Seattle, WA from 1-7PM. The Friday, August 10th Wishlist fundraiser is open to the public for all ages with a $10 cover, located at the Showbox SoDo, 1700 1st Ave S., Seattle, WA. Tickets can be purchased at the box office the day of the event, or in advance from the Showbox Presents.
Attendees of the fan-run Wishlist fundraisers can make donations to receive band and fan inspired merchandise and enter raffles for chances to win fan-donated band collectibles. Silent and live auctions will feature donated autographed Pearl Jam posters and other rare memorabilia. All proceeds from the raffles and auctions will benefit Pearl Jam’s designated charities. More information on the fan-run Wishlist Foundation fundraisers can be found at wishlistfoundation.org.
