Thousands of stories will hang from the railing on the new MarketFront plaza in 2017. Each story is told on a personalized Market Charm in just 25 characters, but many stories represent decades of love, family legacy, and Pike Place Market pride.
Today we’re sharing Market Charm stories from two donors, Kristen and Jennifer. Kristen dedicated her Market Charm to her husband of 18 years and Jennifer’s Market Charm honors her family’s 85-year legacy in Pike Place Market. Thank you for supporting the new MarketFront with your Market Charms!
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Kristen and Mark on their first date in Pike Place Market in 1996.
“I wrote ‘Kristen Loves Marwood’ on my Market Charm for my husband, Mark Woodward, for our 18th wedding anniversary this year. We met while working at the University of Michigan. When Mark got a job at the University of Washington Medical Center, he moved to Seattle. After about a year of long-distance flirting, he invited me to visit him. Of course, Pike Place Market was the first place he took me. We strolled together through the Market, and it was magical. I was instantly smitten with him, and he with me. We married shortly after that, and the Market continues to hold a special place in our hearts. I’m so excited to give him a Market Charm to celebrate our love!” – Kristen Lidke Woodward
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Jennifer’s parents, Ray and Oquella, pictured outside their White Spot Restaurant in 1942.
“I donated for a Market Charm to honor the memories that Pike Place Market holds for me and my family. My dad, Ray, was a chef and, in the 1930’s, he and my mother, Oquella, owned the White Spot Restaurant on 2nd Avenue and Broad Street. My dad often told us how he would shop the Market nearly daily for the produce, meat and fish that he served in their restaurant. My father must be grinning to know that his and my mother’s names will be on a Market Charm and a part of the Market that meant so much to him.” – Jennifer French
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Market Charms will be installed on the new MarketFront plaza in 2017. Less than 1,000 Market Charms remain on the waterfront-facing side of the MarketFront plaza. Learn more.
A donation of $180 (or $15/month) writes YOUR story on your very own Market Charm.
Give the most memorable gift to yourself or a loved one this holiday season: Donate Now
What’s your Market Charm story? Share it with us and we’ll feature your story on our blog!