LAKE STEVENS — Film actor Chris Pratt, the charismatic star of blockbusters “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World,” has set up a raffle to raise money for the Lake Stevens Boys &Girls Club.
Donors can buy $10 raffle tickets to win an all-expenses-paid trip to spend a day with Pratt on the set of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” The movie is filming now and the fundraiser ends May 1.
There are various donation levels, ranging from $10 to $7,500, with perks such as themed T-shirts and a signed “Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Volume 1” vinyl record. Higher donation amounts give donors more entries in the raffle to win a day with Pratt.
Hours after the fundraiser launched on Wednesday morning, it already had “sold out” of two perks: cassette players with an “Awesome Mix” cassette — a $300 donation — and a replica movie prop — a $7,500 donation. There still were several pictures drawn by Pratt and kids from the Boys &Girls Club available for $7,500.
Pratt grew up in Lake Stevens. He graduated in 1997 from Lake Stevens High School, where he’s remembered as a good student, talented athlete and class clown. He is married to movie and television star Anna Faris, who grew up in Edmonds, so they share a Snohomish County connection.
Lake Stevens Boys &Girls Club director Mike Wetmore said the fundraiser was launched days after the club reached out to Pratt.
“We sent an email through a friend of Chris’, and Pratt’s publicist got back to us, saying that Chris was interested,” Wetmore said. “A couple days later, the publicist got back to us saying that Chris had set up the fundraiser.”
Boys &Girls Clubs of Snohomish County hopes to raise $550,000 to renovate the Lake Stevens club at 1609 E. Lakeshore Drive. The biggest piece of the remodel would be a new teen center.
The club doesn’t have a place for teens to hang out apart from younger students. The new center would be 1,500 square feet with at least 12 computers, space for robotics programing, an entertainment center and areas for homework and study groups. The club could host teen nights and special programs such as College Bound and Keystone Leadership, Wetmore said.
The rest of the club also would get an update, with a remodeled kitchen, new floors and paint, and more classrooms.
So far, about $181,000 has been donated locally, Wetmore said.
Pratt was not available for an interview Wednesday. He’s on set for long days of filming this week, his publicist said.
Pratt’s fundraiser is set up through Omaze, a California company. People can buy as many tickets as they wish at Omaze.com/Chris.
Pratt announced the fundraiser on “Good Morning America” and on his Facebook page.
“I think there’s no better time to put some positivity back in the world, so we’re going to do just that right now,” he wrote on Facebook. “So, if you help me help some amazing kids get the resources they need, I promise you’ll get the best day ever with me on set, where among other things you can: hang out and watch us film, spend one on one time with me, raid the food and candy at craft service, watch me boss people around and make ridiculous demands. I mean, the sky is the limit to the ridiculousness and fun.”
In a promotional video for the fundraiser, Pratt gives viewers a three-minute tour of the movie set, replete with his famous sense of humor.
He jokingly promises a chance to punch him in the face while wearing the Star-Lord helmet because, after all, “it’s for the kids.” He also drives a golf cart into a wall and starts to reveal the identity of Star-Lord’s father — a movie mystery — before writer and director James Gunn rushes over to stop him.
“No matter who wins, you can donate at different levels to get all kinds of loot,” Pratt said. “Or as Groot would call it, all kinds of Groot.”
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
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