Downtown Beach Bonanza at

6th Annual Seattle Sandfest

Giant sandbox takes over Westlake Park on August 23rd

No need to travel to the seashore this summer – Seattle Sandfest benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound brings the beach to Westlake Park on Saturday, August 23.

Produced by the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) and Metropolitan Improvement District (MID), the free event includes a professional sand sculpture exhibition by Orbital Sanders, amateur sand sculpture competitions, giant sandboxes just for kids, live music, retailer promotions and much more. Seattle Sandfest kicks off at 11a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. with the crowning of the 2008 sand sculpting champion.

“Seattle Sandfest is a great end-of-summer tradition that brings thousands of people together Downtown to enjoy a creative and fun day in the Retail Core,” said Judy Burnside, chair of the Downtown Seattle Association’s Retail Core neighborhood marketing committee. “There is no better way to spend a Seattle summer day than with music, family activities and an actual beach, all centrally located right Downtown.”

In addition to the more than 25,000 spectators at last year’s Seattle Sandfest celebration, the 2007 event welcomed 10 teams to showcase their sand sculpting skills and compete for top sand art honors. Winners from the Coughlin Porter Lundeen team sculpted Snoopy waiting for a visit from the mythical “Great Pumpkin.” This year, Coughlin Porter Lundeen will be defending its title against teams from Kleinfelder, Denny Triangle, EHS Design, Magnusson Klemencic Associates and Safeco. Additional sponsors include Century Square,

Hertz Equipment Rental, KING 5, Macy's, Nordstrom, Nuprecon, Qwest, Skanska, Triamp Music Rentals, Westlake Center and 5th Avenue Theatre. For information on the amateur sand sculpting competition, visit www.downtownsummer.com.

All of the proceeds from this year’s Seattle Sandfest event benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound, an organization committed to providing an adult mentor for every child who needs or wants one. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound is the largest mentoring organization in Washington State, serving 2,500 children in King, Pierce, Kitsap, Jefferson and Clallam counties.

“We’re thrilled to be part of a fun, family-friendly event that encourages kids and adults to interact in a creative way,” said Tina Podlodowski, President and CEO. “Seattle Sandfest represents some of our key values and we’re excited about the opportunities made possible by this partnership.”

For more information on Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound, visit www.bbbsps.org .

About Downtown Seattle Association

Established in 1958, the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) – representing business, non-profits, arts and educational institutions throughout Puget Sound – is a non-profit, member-based organization dedicated to the revitalization and development of Downtown Seattle into a thriving, world-class place to live, work, visit and conduct business.

DSA is led by many of the community’s most respected leaders working in collaboration to champion a healthy, vibrant urban core.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: High-resolution photos from Seattle Sandfest 2007 are available upon request. Please contact Kristin Mattison (kristinm@downtownseattle.org) for more details.