Joe and Pat continue a Market legacy
The pandemic and economic crisis have demonstrated a valuable lesson: the consistency and reliability of funding from the Pike Place Market Foundation is essential to keeping the Market strong, nimble and healthy. That’s why we’re investing in a sustainable fund that will keep the Market community healthy and resilient now and for generations to come.
The Pike Place Market Community Fund campaign will ensure that the mission of Pike Place Market Foundation continues: to provide opportunities for local farmers, small businesses and to nurture a community that cares for thousands of low-income seniors, families, and workers.
It’s why Joe & Pat Desimone are committing to help Nurture the Next Chapter, and continue the legacy Joe’s family built in Pike Place Market for three generations. His grandfather, immigrant farmer Giuseppe “Joe” Desimone, owned most of the Market by 1930 and carried it through the war years.
Richard Desimone, Joe’s father, then continued the tradition of helping the merchants through very difficult times by keeping the rents low and providing assistance to the merchants when they needed it. “Their philosophy was to help others because they knew firsthand how difficult it was and to help the community find stability in the face of crisis,” Joe says.
Their community commitment that helped the Market through the Great Depression and World War II once again rings true in the present-day COVID-19 pandemic. “Learning from what the Foundation went through with the pandemic, it’s a real example of what can happen,” said Pat, speaking to the sudden economic instability and how we pivoted to meet the emerging needs of the Market. “You need the extra cushion… It’s like having a real protection, a safety net.”
By growing our current endowment of $4 million up to $10 million the Market Foundation can provide a stable and consistent source of revenue to support the Market community year after year. “There’s a lot of people who make commitments to the Market,” said Joe. “People are helping people. We’re all in this together, it’s a community that’s working together to do this.”
Join us! When you contribute to the Market Community Fund, you will know your gifts benefit the Market community now and for generations to come.Visit our Market Community Fund page to learn more.
Photo (c) Rosemary Dai Ross