ONE TEAM powered by Mentorship, Teamwork, and Inspiration
Shape the Future: Bring it Home Series is a string of events that give Rainier Athletes’ supporters and stakeholders the opportunity to engage more frequently throughout the year and sustain the vital work of Rainier Athletes in our community.
Over the course of the next year, Rainier Athletes will host a series of events made up of Virtual Town Hall Sessions (which will include Q & A opportunities, cooking demonstrations and community-driven activities) and small in-person dinners in the homes of donors and stakeholders for up to 10-12 guests (depending on state regulations and host and guests’ comfort level around COVID-19). Hosts will have the option of also including a Rainier Athletes staff member, student, and mentor at their dinner.
The purpose of these dinners is to spread awareness about Rainier Athletes’ impact, why this impact is important to our community, and to raise critical funds to both deepen and expand our impact.
These intimate gatherings will strive to unlock the power of collective wisdom around the table. Additionally, this will allow guests an opportunity to hear about Rainier Athletes’ model of community support to mobilize teachers, coaches, mentors, and families around Bellevue’s historically marginalized students.
Hosts will be asked to create an invitation list of guests from their personal networks who they feel will be most supportive in helping reach the dinner’s fundraising goals*.
The Rainier Athletes team will work alongside the host to develop a strategy for achieving fundraising success, in addition to providing logistical support, dinner conversation prompts, and guest follow up materials, etc. to ensure the host is supported and prepared for their gathering.
* In order to raise critical funds for Rainier Athletes, each dinner host will be asked to set a fundraising goal (give/get) of $6,000 per event. Does raising $6,000 feel like a stretch? Click here to find out how you can still help!
As part of the Bring it Home Series, Rainier Athletes will host several virtual town hall discussions over the course of the next few months. Don’t worry: it won’t be your average boring zoom call. These broadcasted gatherings will include fun activities involving food, cocktails, interactive discussions and information sharing that will center around RA’s ongoing impact throughout our community during these unprecedented times. This will be a great opportunity for guests to learn more about RA before joining in on the in-person dinner.
Join us on May 21 for the next Town Hall Session in our series.
Rainier Athletes is grateful for the continued support from our community sponsors and supporters. Click here to see the full list of Event Series sponsors.
In-person group dinners probably won’t happen until mid-2021, but in the meantime, join us for some virtual fun, food, and celebration in honor of Rainier Athletes.
Hosts will open their homes for up to 12 selected guests and set a fundraising goal of $6,000 per event. We’re here to help you every step of the way. Let’s get planning!
Hosting a dinner isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok! Seats around someone else’s table will be available in limited supply. We’ll (try to) save you a seat!
Rainier Athletes work to dismantle inequities built into the spaces where our youth are meant to thrive. Join our support network through a Bring it Home Series event sponsorship.
Can’t commit to a dinner right now? Donations at any level will help us further our mission and support more students and families in the community.
Just because we can’t all gather in person, doesn’t mean there aren’t amazing packages to win! Check out our online auction!
Are you interested in the possibility of hosting a dinner in your home but you can’t quite commit yet?
Let’s connect!
What is the event date?
Over the course of the next year, we are asking hosts and potential hosts to select an event date that is convenient for them (depending on state regulations as well as host and guests’ comfort level). Any day of the week or weekend that works best for you and your potential guests will be added onto our event calendar. Please plan to select your event date at least six weeks prior to the event, so we can begin strategic planning and logistical support alongside you in a timely manner. We understand the uncertainty around gathering groups because of COVID-19 and we are flexible with shifting event dates into the future as the state of the virus continues to change.
Ok, I’ve selected my event date, now what do I do?
Once you’ve committed to hosting a Dinner, Rainier Athletes will work hand in hand with you to create a memorable experience for your event. Our team will provide logistical support to organize the food/catering/beverage/service (see more information below) for you and your guests, event set up and clean up, as well as strategic support around your guest list, fundraising strategy, and the flow of the event.
I’d like to host, but what am I signing up for?
In order to raise crucial funds for the organization, we have taken a unique approach to in-person events by creating an intimate dinner experience for our donors and stakeholders. Hosts will be asked to open their homes for up to 10-12 guests of their choosing (with the option of including a Rainier Athletes staff member, mentor and/or student) and set a fundraising goal of at least $6,000 per event. This fundraising goal can be reached through different strategies and the Rainier Athletes team will work one on one with you to create a fundraising plan that you feel comfortable with for your event.
I’m interested in hosting, but raising $6,000 for my event seems daunting. Can I still participate?
Support for Rainier Athletes looks different for everyone. While we’re relying on the set fundraising goals for our event series in order to raise money for Rainier Athletes, a $6,000 fundraising goal shouldn’t deter you from gathering your friends and colleagues. If you are interested in planning a smaller event, or think that you can raise money for the organization through a dinner with smaller event goals, please contact our event producer and talk about the planning options.
What can I expect at the dinner?
The purpose of these dinners will be for guests to listen, learn, and inspire one another through meaningful dialogue around the dinner table. We hope to keep the attendance small in order to create an intimate environment for conversation and self reflection. These gatherings will strive to unlock the power of collective wisdom around the table and will allow guests an opportunity to hear about Rainier Athletes’ model of community support to mobilize teachers, coaches, mentors, and families around Bellevue’s historically marginalized students. The Rainier Athletes Team will work directly with hosts to create a timeline for their event and will provide conversation prompts to help hosts engage their guests in discussion during dinner. Each event timeline will include a few minutes of remarks from the Rainier Athletes’ representative in attendance, as well as the opportunity to show a video about Rainier Athletes.
Who’s cooking?
In order to provide as much support to our hosts as possible, Rainier Athletes will give each host the option to choose their own catering plan. We ask that hosts choose one of the following options:
Host to provide their own food, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, service equipment, and décor
Rainier Athletes to provide a private chef from Kaspars Catering, server, food**, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, and service equipment.
Rainier Athletes to provide a private chef from Kaspars Catering, server, food**, and service equipment; Host will provide their own wine and non-alcoholic beverages.
Rainier Athletes to provide wine only; Host will provide the food, non-alcoholic beverages, and service equipment.
** As a host, we encourage you to upgrade the event experience by offering your guests an elegantly prepared meal from our partners at Kaspars Catering. Click here to view the dinner menu.
I am not interested in hosting, but I’d like to attend a Dinner that is being hosted by someone else, what should I do?
We understand that hosting dinner parties is not for everyone. That’s ok! If Shape the Future: Bring it Home Series is appealing to you, but you aren’t interested in hosting, we would like to find the opportunity for you to attend a dinner hosted by someone else. Please click here for more information.
What’s the difference between the Town Hall Sessions and the Bring it Home Series Dinners?
The Town Hall Sessions are PART of the Bring it Home Series. With the current state of the world around COVID-19, gathering any amount of people in person seems risky right now. In order to engage our donors and supporters in the work that’s currently being done at Rainier Athletes, we plan on hosting several virtual town halls over the course of the next few months. Don’t worry: it won’t be your average boring zoom call. These broadcasted gatherings will include fun activities involving food, cocktails, interactive discussions and information sharing, all while raising funds and celebrating Rainier Athletes.
Where is the money going?
Rainier Athletes is a growing organization that provides year-round sports scholarships, around-the-clock mentoring, and daily classroom support for our community's most vulnerable youth. Since our founding in 2012, the Rainier Athletes’ vision has evolved from an incentive program for students to celebrate their classroom success on the sports field to a comprehensive mentorship model. Although athletics remain at the forefront of our brand, we always say that sports are simply the vehicle in which we engage in a much deeper conversation with our youth. Funds raised through our Shape the Future: Bring it Home Series will be in direct support of Rainier Athletes programming. To learn more about Rainier Athletes and its response to students and families during COVID-19, please visit our website. Donations to Rainier Athletes at every level will help us further our mission and will provide more resources to students and their families. Donate Now
I’d like to talk to someone about Shape the Future: Bring it Home Series, but who do I call?
Please reach out to our Event Producer, Juliana Sloper at juliana@rainierathletes.org or (571) 215-1675
Event Series Sponsors*
Special thank you to our Shape the Future: Bring it Home Series sponsors
EMPOWERMENT SPONSOR
CHAMPION SPONSORS
SUPPORT SPONSORS
Perkins Coie LLP
Symetra
Zevenbergen Capital
PARTNER SPONSORS
Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi
*Sponsors as of April 26, 2021
Join us for a virtual Town Hall Session
With the current state of the world around COVID-19, gathering any amount of people in person seems risky right now, but we still want to see your faces! As part of the Bring it Home Series, Rainier Athletes will host several virtual town hall discussions over the course of the next few months. Don’t worry: it won’t be your average boring zoom call. These broadcasted gatherings will include fun activities involving food, cocktails, interactive discussions and information sharing that will center around RA’s ongoing impact throughout our community during these unprecedented times. This will be a great opportunity for guests to learn more about RA before joining in on the in-person dinner.
Join us on May 21 for the next Town Hall Session. Seahawks sideline reporter, Jen Meuller, will host a facilitated conversation with some BIG TIME panelists in order to spread awareness about the growing engagement gap in youth sports right now, and how COVID-19 has exacerbated it.
In partnership with Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi, guests will have the opportunity to indulge in an award-winning dessert during the event. Tickets begin at $30/guest or upgrade your ticket with a VIP package for access to a virtual meet & greet with the speakers after to the event. Tickets are going fast! RSVP today.
I’m Ready to Become a Dinner Host
Thank you for agreeing to host a Shape the Future: Bring it Home Dinner! A Rainier Athletes representative will work one on one with you to finalize the details of your event*. The following list will help you begin thinking about your evening:
Am I willing to host a sponsor representative and/or like-minded dinner guest at my event?
Do I want to provide my own food, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, service equipment and décor?
Do I want to provide all of the food and non-alcoholic beverages, but have Rainier Athletes provide the wine?
For the cost of what I would have spent on a table at the Shape the Future Gala, would I like Rainier Athletes to provide:
A private chef from Kaspars Catering, food, and a server
Wine and non-alcoholic beverages
3-course meal**
Passed hors d’oeuvres
Service equipment
Or, do I want Rainier Athletes to provide the option above, but I’ll provide the wine?
* All Dinners will include Host preparation support from Rainier Athletes to include invitation language, RSVP tracking, support materials, logistical planning, event set up and tear down.
** As a host, we encourage you to upgrade the event experience by offering your guests an elegantly prepared meal from our partners at Kaspars Catering. Click here to view the dinner menu.
I’m not interested in Hosting, but I want to attend a Dinner
Hosting a dinner isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok! Seats around someone else’s table will be available in limited supply on a first come, first served basis. We’ll (try to) save you a seat!
Event Series Sponsorship Opportunities
At our core, Rainier Athletes is in the business of dismantling the inequities built into the spaces where our youth are meant to thrive—a classroom, a playground and perhaps a soccer field. We are focused on how to continue supporting our team long after the game is over. Help be a part of that support network through a Bring it Home Series event sponsorship.
I am unable to participate this year, but I’d like to contribute!
Rainier Athletes is a growing organization that provides year-round sports scholarships, around-the-clock mentoring, and daily classroom support for our community's most vulnerable youth. Since our founding in 2012, the Rainier Athletes’ vision has evolved from an incentive program for students to celebrate their classroom success on the sports field to a comprehensive mentorship and community engagement model. Although athletics remain at the forefront of our brand, sports are simply the vehicle in which we engage in a deeper conversation with our youth. By intentionally connecting mentors, families & community partners in a way that allows each student to authentically navigate the mainstream systems present in school, sports & community, our students are more likely to be known, their voices are more likely to be heard, and their futures are more likely to be theirs to create. Check out how Rainier Athletes has provided vital support for students and families while school buildings are closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Consider supporting Rainier Athletes in the following way:
$2,000 fully sponsors 1 Rainier Athlete student for an entire year. In addition to covering the cost of extracurricular activities, your monetary support allows Rainier Athletes to pair each student with a dedicated mentor, connect families to vital resources, and nurtures an ongoing conversation between each student's teacher, coach, and family.
****Consider becoming a monthly donor! For just over $160 per month, you'll have the opportunity to sponsor 1 Rainier Athlete for the whole year.
$1,200 provides professional tutors and ACT/SAT prep for our high school students for one month
$500 covers the cost of sports gear for 1 Rainier Athlete for the entire year
$250 provides student snacks for one month, an essential component of Rainier Athletes high school program!
To Donate Via Check:
Make your check payable to ‘Rainier Athletes’ and send to: Rainier Athletes 3120 139th Avenue SE | 5th Floor | Bellevue, WA 98005. Please include “Shape the Future” in check memo line.
To Donate Using A Credit Card:
Fill out the form below
I want to Host, but I have more questions
We have taken a unique approach to in-person events by creating an intimate dinner experience. Hosts will be asked to open their homes for up to 10-12 guests of their choosing and set a fundraising goal of $6,000 per event. Does raising $6,000 feel like a stretch? Are you interested in hosting an event, but want more information? Visit our FAQ section to help answer some commonly asked questions. Don’t see your question there? Email us your additional questions below!
Would you rather talk to someone directly? Please contact our Event Producer, Juliana Sloper at juliana@rainierathletes.org or (571) 215-1675