Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1179842
The WAC Foundation | Find out how this new charitable nonprofit is raising money to preserve and enhance the WAC Clubhouse, a national historic landmark. NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019 37 THE WAC FOUNDATION How to help preserve the Clubhouse with your tax-deductible donations 1. e base on which a building rests 2. A fundamental principle 3. An organization established to help finance an institution —Summarized from Webster's New World College Dictionary OUR HOME BASE Recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the WAC Clubhouse stands as a beacon of Seattle's early history. For WAC members, it's also something else. "e Clubhouse is key to fulfilling the mission of the WAC—to enrich the quality of our lives," says Tam- my Young, Chair of the WAC Founda- tion board. "It's a home away from home for each of us as members. And like any home, it needs care and attention." e WAC Clubhouse joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2018, and work on the WAC Founda- foundation (noun) tion—established to protect and advance the WAC structure beyond the Club's operating and capital budgets—immedi- ately gained steam. Opened in 1930 and once the third-tallest building in the city, the WAC Clubhouse plays a significant role in Seattle's early architectural history. "e Washington Athletic Club never fails to impress and inspire," says well- known Seattle historian Jean Sherrard, co-author of the book Seattle Now & en: e Historic Hundred. Featuring art deco detailing inside and out as well as a striking façade and distinctive terra cotta ornamentation, the Clubhouse represents an extinct era of architecture—form never giving way to function. "e WAC is a soaring touchstone that keeps us grounded in beauty, ele- gance and tradition," Sherrard continues, calling the Clubhouse "a beloved art deco masterpiece." But like all masterpieces, care, work and … yes … money are required to en- sure the future. For the WAC Clubhouse, now entering its 90th year, the decade ahead will prove critical. "is is an opportunity unlike There are many ways to donate to the WAC Foundation. Get the details on page 38. Rarely do three meanings of a single word so perfectly encapsulate an idea. But for the WAC Foundation—a new charitable nonprofit established to preserve and enhance the physical structure of the WAC Clubhouse—that's exactly the case. By Darrick Meneken