| NEWPORT BEACH, CA -- HomeAid®, a leading national non-profit provider of housing for today's homeless, proudly announced the launch of its 2008 National Project Playhouse® event to raise awareness and funds for America's temporarily homeless population, including more than one million children. For 17 years, Project Playhouse has been HomeAid's signature fundraising event where professionally constructed, elaborate children's playhouses are displayed and auctioned to raise money to build housing for the temporarily homeless families and individuals.
In total, nine HomeAid chapters in various states will host Project Playhouse events this year, with five cities featuring special American Girl-themed houses, all built by Pardee Homes®. Four of the American Girl® playhouses, which are based on the popular brand's Kit Kittredge® character who demonstrates a concern for the less fortunate, a can-do spirit and a desire to make a difference, will be displayed in conjunction with the Kit Kittredge: An American Girl major motion picture that premiered on June 14 in Los Angeles. To raise funds for HomeAid, these four playhouses will be available to the general public via special opportunity prize drawings or online auctions in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas.
"Besides being a strong fundraiser, Project Playhouse enables HomeAid to raise awareness and increase the public dialogue about temporary homelessness, which affects hundreds of thousands of hardworking individuals and families, in a very creative manner," said Genette Eaton, chief executive officer of HomeAid. "We are thrilled to be the recipients of such amazing generosity from Pardee Homes and their trade partners who built the Kit Kittredge playhouses, as well as American Girl for the use of one of its most cherished characters as inspiration for our event."
The four playhouses support the theatrical opening of the Kit Kittredge: An American Girl movie that opens in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Atlanta on June 20th and nationwide on July 2nd. In the first feature film based on the hugely popular American Girl book series, Academy Award(R) nominee Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) stars as a resourceful young girl whose bravery, compassion and determination help her solve a mystery that saves her family's home during the Great Depression.
"We have been involved in Project Playhouse since it began 17 years ago, and we are extremely proud to be participating in the national event and working with such top brands as HomeAid and American Girl," said Mike McGee, president and CEO of Pardee Homes. "There is a great deal of synergy in this year's playhouse theme with Kit's concern for the less fortunate, the natural affinity of Project Playhouse among kids and HomeAid's mission to help temporarily homeless families, including more than a million children."
In conjunction with the movie's world premiere at Caruso Affiliated's The Grove in Los Angeles, HomeAid Los Angeles/Ventura opened the pint-size "Kit's Home on Abbott Place" playhouse for tours and opportunity drawing purchase on June 7. In July, the playhouse will be moved to The Lakes at Thousand Oaks where it will be part of the chapter's 8th Annual Project Playhouse fundraiser this fall.
At The Bronx Zoo, HomeAid New York City unveiled its playhouse to the public on June 6. From June 6 through June 15, the playhouse was available for tours and online auction. After the zoo, the playhouse will move to the Staten Island Children's Museum for display from June 21 through July 13. For an opportunity to bid on the playhouse, visit www.HomeAidNYC.com
From June 17 through July 13, HomeAid Chicago will open its "Kit's Home on Abbott Place" playhouse for the public at John Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue in the heart of the Magnificent Mile. At a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 17, families will have the opportunity to view the playhouse, interact with actresses from the American Girl Theater, enjoy musical performances and purchase opportunity drawing tickets.
Beginning June 21, HomeAid/Home Builders Care in Dallas will host its playhouse event. Through July 20, the playhouse will reside outside the American Girl Boutique and Bistro at Galleria Dallas for the public to view and purchase opportunity drawing tickets to win the house.
Besides the initial four-city rollout of the "Kit's Home on Abbott Place" playhouse, a fifth one will be available for tours and auction at HomeAid Inland Empire's Project Playhouse event August 23-September 27 at Victoria Gardens' Chaffey Town in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Project Playhouse features exquisitely designed playhouses with unique themes chosen by the individual builders in each local market. The 10-foot by 10-foot by 8-foot miniature homes feature the same craftsmanship and quality as the real homes built by the same homebuilders, and often include working electricity, running water, and high-end materials such as granite and mahogany. Fully furnished, many of the playhouses in recent years have even included plasma television screens. Weighing approximately 5,000 pounds, each playhouse is built to accommodate the wear and tear of children's play.
For more information on National Project Playhouse and the various events at each of HomeAid's participating chapters, visit www.projectplayhouse.com or www.homeaid.org |
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