This is a sponsored post

Rainier Beach corporate anchors, community organizations and businesses have joined with the Seattle Police Department, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and local activists for the Second Annual “Boo Bash at the Beach”. Responding to a need for a fun, safe and interactive experience for families, Boo Bash combines the best of South Seattle’s efforts to affect positive change. More than 3,000 people are expected at this wonderfully photogenic event.

Boo Bash at the Beach is a fun, FREE Halloween Party with more than 30 Trick or Treat booths, games and entertainment. Several booths feature costume and mask creation.

The event is funded by sponsorships, including “Monster Sponsor” Safeway, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Waste Management, Seattle City Councilmembers Bruce Harrell and Tim Burgess, the Rainier Beach Merchants Association and Rainier Valley Chamber of Commerce, Penniless Projects, the Othello Park Alliance and City of Seattle Police, Fire, Parks, Neighborhoods and Transportation Departments, Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities, Sound Transit, as well as the Seattle Police Officers Guild. Southeast Effective Development (SEED) serves as the 501c3 nonprofit fiscal sponsor.

This year, Boo Bash at the Beach is joined by the enthusiastic spirit of Rainier Beach youth leaders from the Rainier Beach Action Coalition, Rainier Beach a Beautiful Safe Place for Youth, Rainier Beach High School Varsity Cheer Squad, and Rainier Beach High School Ultimate Frisbee Team, who have served as outreach ambassadors and event volunteers.

Details

Saturday, October 31

2:00 – 5:00 PM

Rainier Beach Safeway parking lot

9262 Rainier Ave S, Seattle 98118

 3:00 PM Thriller Dance and Zombie Crawl

Background

The Rainier Beach area of SE Seattle has long been indentified as  a crime “hot spot”.  Gun violence in 2014, which included a pair of blocks-long shooting sprees, inspired a spirited conversation between Rainier Beach neighborhood activist Cindi Laws and Mike Stampalia, General Manager of the Rainier Beach Safeway; a plan was developed. Working with Seattle City Councilman Bruce Harrell, Chair of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, and the Seattle Police Department, the first Boo Bash was a resounding success.  The City of Seattle, neighborhood organizations, citizens and businesses have pushed back, reclaiming our community with numerous special events, safety improvements, and beautification efforts. Rainier Beach crime and gun violence have fallen precipitously.

As a whole, the Rainier Valley has the city’s highest unemployment rate and the lowest household income – $20,000 lower than the next lowest City Council district. Southeast Seattle has one of the most diverse ZIP codes in the nation, with more than 130 languages spoken.