WHAT:

The submission deadline for the Space Needle's 50^th Anniversary "Top Off Our

50^th" roof painting design is 11:59 pm PDT on September 20.  A judging panel will then review all entries and cut the field down to six.  Those designs will be posted on www.spaceneedle.com for a public vote.  The winner will get to see his or her design gleaming from the top of the 50-year-old icon until the end of its 50^th Anniversary year on April 21, 2013.

STATUS:

More than 100 designs, both hand-drawn and electronic, have come in from

coast to coast thus far. A wide variety of themes have been put forward from the 50^th Anniversary to Native American Heritage. Good taste is the only limiting factor for submissions.

BACKGROUND:

For the first time ever, a fan of the Space Needle will see his or her design painted on the roof

of the 605-foot-tall structure for the world to see. The design and, quite frankly, some pretty legit bragging rights for its mastermind will adorn the roof from October 21, 2012 through April 21, 2013, the day of its 51^st birthday.

ANNOUNCEMENT:

On Sunday, October 21 – as the Space Needle celebrates the anniversary of the

closing day of the 1962 World's Fair – the winning design will be revealed. Painting will begin as quickly as the weather permits. Besides the honor of being the first-ever to have a personal design on the Space Needle, the winner will also receive various prizes all tied to the Space Needle's 50^th Anniversary.

COMMENT:

Ron Sevart, Space Needle President and CEO, said when announcing the

contest, "This really is a nod to our heritage. We were built as a symbol of the future, born of the imagination of a few and embraced by the world. As we look ahead, this is our way to continue to stir the imagination and look ahead to our next 50 years."