Virginia Garcia Clinics Raise $238,000 at ¡Prospera!

¡Prospera! attendees practice raising their bid cards in anticipation of the live auction.

Beaverton, OR. There was standing room only at the Tiger Woods Center on the Nike World Campus at a benefit for the Virginia Garcia Clinics. Supporters like Jerry Brown, Gale Castillo and Paul Lumley celebrated the success of ¡Prospera! which raised $238,000 for programs at all 17 Virginia Garcia clinics and school-based health centers located in Washington and Yamhill counties. The October 7th event concluded with salsa lessons in the Rotunda.

Hillsboro High School Mariachi Band Una Voz entertained the crowd during the social hour.

¡Prospera! attendees practice raising their bid cards in anticipation of the live auction.

Board members Margaret Garza and Lina Garcia Seabold, with Lina’s father and one of the Founders of Virginia Garcia, Jose Garcia

Nike’s Jorge Casimiro welcomes everyone to the third annual Fall Gala ¡Prospera!

Julia Brim Edwards, Virginia Garcia Foundation Executive Director Serena Cruz, Molly Cliff Hilts and Eileen Brady pause for photos at the selfie station

Shannon and Matt Austin and their guests Melissa Huntley and Courtney Hill

From Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center:

Virginia Garcia is a catalyst for change in health care delivery.

The mission of the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center is to provide high-quality, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate primary health care to the communities of Washington and Yamhill counties with a special emphasis on migrant and seasonal farmworkers and others with barriers to receiving health care.

History of Virginia Garcia

In 1975, beautiful six-year old Virginia Garcia and her farmworker parents traveled from their home in Mission, Texas to California and Oregon to work in the fields. Along the way Virginia cut her foot, and by the time they reached Oregon, it had become infected. Due to economic, language and cultural barriers to health care, Virginia died from what should have been an easily treatable wound.

Moved to action by Virginia’s unnecessary death, the community quickly rallied together to open the first Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center in a three-car garage, determined to prevent similar tragedies from occurring.

Today, Virginia Garcia provides healthcare services to more than 45,000 patients a year in Washington and Yamhill Counties at our five primary care clinics and pharmacies, five dental offices, and six school-based health centers. We also provide outreach to schools, community health fairs and to migrant and seasonal farmworkers at local camps and commercial nurseries through our mobile clinic.

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.