Categories: EventsFeaturesNews

Seattle’s Annual Gingerbread Village Benefits Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Seattle, WA. Here’s a look at a colorful fundraiser popular with people in the Emerald City. For 26 years fans have visited the Sheraton Seattle’s Annual Gingerbread Village benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The theme for this year’s celebration is Welcome to Whoville. Donations are collected for JDRF and more than 200,000 people are expected to visit the village before it closes on January 2nd.

The village is set up in chronological order to tell the story of how the Grinch Stole Christmas. The five jumbo-sized gingerbread houses have a total of over 1,200 pounds of dough, 800 pounds of icing, 200 pounds of white chocolate, 250 pounds of almond paste and hundreds of pounds of candy.

First up in the display is Whoville Town and Mount Crumpit. Organizers say it took close to 8,000 hours to put together the stroll through the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss.

Next, it’s the Grinch’s Lair where he plots with his loyal dog Max.

The next gingerbread house the mischievous Grinch hard at work in his sleigh stealing Christmas. He drives the sleigh up Mount Crumpit.

Next is the presentation of the Whoville Christmas Celebration, with the Whos surrounded by the Christmas tree with their joy and love for Christmas.

Last is the depiction of the Whoville Feast, where Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, Max and the Whos of Whoville find their peace.

Viewing hours of Gingerbread Village through January 1^st, are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sheraton Grand Seattle, 1400 6th Ave. Seattle 98101

From JDRF:

Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes with a new case diagnosed every 30 seconds. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic, debilitating disease that usually strikes children and young adults, coming on suddenly and causing dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life. However, insulin is not a cure, nor does it prevent the constant threat of complications.

JDRF funds more T1D research than any other non profit in the world. The JDRF mission is to improve diabetes treatments and ultimately find a cure for T1D. Over 80% of JDRF expenditures goes directly to our mission.

Gingerbread Village Teams:

Team CallisonRTKL and Hargis, Chef Lee Baldyga, Nora Milad

Team 4D, Chef Jay Sardeson, Grace Pilo

Team Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties & Gelotte Hommas Drivdahl, Architecture, Chef David Mestl, Zane Alexander

Team MG2, Chef Joleen Anderson, Natalie Brogan

Team Bailly & Bailly, Chef John Armstrong, Olive Tolbert

More information at: https://gingerbreadvillage.org/

Elisa Klein

I’ve been a professional journalist and writer since 1987, (and long-time reporter for KOIN-TV.) As a nationally published reporter, with a Master’s Degree in Journalism, I love to report positive news and information. Journalism has also connected me with another non-profit where I served as a leader; the Northwest’s biggest writer’s organization: The Willamette Writers.