Portland, OR. If you access Amazon through the Amazon Smile portal, your shopping experience will be the same but you’ll also be donating 0.5% to the charity of your choice at no extra cost to you. As of August 2021, the program has donated over $285 million to U.S. nonprofits including many in Oregon and SW Washington.
Amazon Smile donations could add up this holiday season, because retail sales are likely to increase between 7% and 9% in 2021, according to Deloitte. The financial advisory firm also forecasts that e-commerce sales will grow by 11-15%, year-over-year, during the 2021-2022 holiday season. This will likely result in e-commerce holiday sales reaching between $210 billion and $218 billion this season.
AmazonSmile shoppers have supported the Oregon Food Bank (seen above before the pandemic) with donations totaling over $1,752.15, at no cost to shoppers.
The obvious downside of AmazonSmile is that 0.5% of your purchase most likely won’t amount to a substantial donation. In order to contribute just $25 to your favorite charity, for instance, you’d have to spend $5,000 on Amazon. So if you’re looking to make a big impact, using Smile probably isn’t your best bet
From AmazonSmile:
AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones. When you shop with AmazonSmile, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. You can choose from over one million organizations to support.
What is the AmazonSmile Charity Lists program?
AmazonSmile Charity Lists is a meaningful and easy way for you to shop and donate items directly to charities in need. Simply find the charities you’d like to support, add items from their lists to your cart, and check out – it’s that easy. To learn more, visit smile.amazon.com/charitylists or tap Charity Lists on the “Programs & Features” menu in the Amazon Shopping app on your mobile phone.
How do I shop with AmazonSmile?
To use AmazonSmile, simply go to smile.amazon.com on your web browser or activate AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app on your iOS or Android phone within the Settings or Programs & Features menu. On your web browser, you can add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping with AmazonSmile.
How do I activate AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app?
AmazonSmile is available for Amazon customers with the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app on their mobile phone, including Android devices with version 7.0+ or iOS devices with version 12+. To activate AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app, simply tap on “AmazonSmile” within the Programs & Features menu or Settings and follow the on-screen instructions.
Do I need to renew AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile renewals happen twice a year to help keep AmazonSmile on mobile app. AmazonSmile will notify you of these renewals via push notifications and through in-app notifications. If you miss a renewal you can reactivate at any time by repeating the steps to “turn on” AmazonSmile on your mobile device. There is no renewal period for browser shopping on AmazonSmile, which you can use anytime by typing ‘smile.amazon.com’ into your browser.
Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations?
Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible.
Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile?
Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.
How do I select a charitable organization to support with AmazonSmile?
On your first visit to AmazonSmile, you will be prompted to select a charitable organization to receive donations from your future eligible AmazonSmile purchases. We will remember your selected charity whenever you shop at smile.amazon.com or with AmazonSmile activated in the Amazon Shopping app, and then every eligible purchase you make through AmazonSmile will result in a donation for your selected charity. AmazonSmile will occasionally contact you about donation amounts disbursed to your chosen charity or about the program.
Can I change my charity?
Yes, you can change your charity at any time. Simply visit smile.amazon.com/change, or tap “AmazonSmile” within the Settings menu in the Amazon Shopping app on your phone and select “Change your charity”. Your AmazonSmile purchases made after changing your charity will count towards your newly selected charity.
What charities can I choose from?
You can choose from over one million eligible 501(c)(3) public charitable organizations.
What if my selected charity does not register to participate in the AmazonSmile program or becomes ineligible?
If your selected charity does not register to participate, becomes ineligible, or requests to be removed from the program, you will have a chance to select a different charity to receive the accrued donations that have not yet been disbursed to your charity. If you do not select a different charity, the accrued donations will be distributed to other organizations receiving donations.
If I represent a charitable organization, how can I learn more about registering my organization for AmazonSmile?
Go to org.amazon.com to learn how to register your organization to receive donations.
How much of my purchase does Amazon donate?
The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges. From time to time, we may offer special, limited time promotions that increase the donation amount on one or more products or services or provide for additional donations to charitable organizations. Special terms and restrictions may apply. Please see the relevant promotion for complete details.
What is the AmazonSmile Foundation?
The AmazonSmile Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation created by Amazon to administer the AmazonSmile program. All donation amounts generated by the AmazonSmile program are remitted by a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. to the AmazonSmile Foundation. In turn, the AmazonSmile Foundation donates those amounts to the charitable organizations selected by our customers. Amazon pays all expenses of the AmazonSmile Foundation; they are not deducted from the donation amounts generated by purchases on AmazonSmile.
Can I receive a tax deduction for amounts donated from my purchases on AmazonSmile?
Donations are made by the AmazonSmile Foundation and are not tax deductible by you.
May customers make direct donations to charitable organizations through the AmazonSmile program?
Customers can make direct donations and arrange for donated products to be delivered to charitable organizations through the AmazonSmile Charity Lists program on their browser or on their mobile device in the Amazon shopping app. That program is the only AmazonSmile program that enables customers to make donations to charities at this time. Customers who support their selected charitable organization is by shopping AmazonSmile do not make direct donations.
Portland, OR. Oregon Ballet Theater (OBT) has returned to in-person performances. Above is a photo of Jessica Lind in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker by James McGrew. In October, OBT took the stage at the Keller Auditorium with a program called Face to Face. “After 18 months away from our home, we are thrilled to be coming face-to-face with our audience again,” says Interim Artistic Director Peter Franc.
FACE TO FACE featured three powerful ballets for OBT’s return to the stage.
Xuan Cheng as ‘Coffee’ in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.
From Oregon Ballet Theatre:
Oregon Ballet Theatre seeks to inspire beauty and excellence in the hearts and minds of Oregonians through the creation and preservation of the highest quality classical and contemporary ballet performances. In addition to our 5-show main stage season, they train dancers from 4 years old to 80 years old through the professional and recreational classes at the Oregon Ballet Theatre School. Many of their students go on to successful professional careers at companies including the Joffrey, the Dutch National Ballet, and within our own organization.
With the understanding that this will be an ongoing process, staff, artists, and trustees of OBT wholeheartedly commit to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion at OBT. They commit to the hard work of introspection, and to becoming more representative of our entire community at all levels of the organization. OBT commits to creating a positive workplace culture that respects differences. And to continue outreach programming that bridges gaps in access and understanding and engages diverse and marginalized populations. By considering all we do through the lens of equity, OBT aims to be a leader in the field and to ensure the vibrancy and relevance of ballet for years to come.
OBT is the largest professional ballet company in Oregon, employing nearly 200 people and attracting artists from around the globe with a reputation for excellence. The company is rooted in the traditions of classical ballet, with a repertoire that ranges from the great classics to premieres from some of the most exciting choreographic voices in the field today. Its mission is dedicated to the vitality of, and access to, world-class ballet performance and training in the region.
For more information about performances, tickets, and all other information, visit; obt.org
Portland, OR. A virtual event for Randall Children’s Hospital on October 22nd raised over $370,000. “An Evening to Celebrate Kids” was the 5th annual benefit. Presenting sponsor was Pacific Office Automation. Located in North Portland, Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel is a regional center for the care of infants, children, and teens.
John Strong (Emcee/host) and Drew Carney (auctioneer)
Below is a video about Randall Children’s Hospital program to a program called Child Life.
Foundation volunteers: Gretchen Lawrence, Alyson Evans and Michelle Birman
From Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel:
We provide expert medical services, from routine care to the most complex cases. With a comprehensive range of pediatric specialties, we help families with children facing some of the most difficult medical conditions. That’s why local pediatricians and families trust us to provide the region’s most advanced care.
Our facility receives nearly 100,000 patient visits every year. We are Oregon’s largest provider of pediatric inpatient and trauma services, and Oregon’s ever-growing population means a continued increase in demand for our services. So, we’re building a new home.
Every inch of our state-of-the-art, nine-story, 334,000-square-foot building is designed exclusively for the special health care needs of children. Our new home opened in February 2012.
Portland, OR. De La Salle North Catholic High School (DLSNC) held an in-person fundraiser by following Covid-19 protocols. The benefit drew 250 supporters and raised $602,000. Ed Maletis and his wife, Board Member Cyndy Maletis, posed for a photo with VP for Advancement Ashleigh de Villiers and Phil and Barbara Silver. The Fall Benefit Dinner & Auction was held on October 29th at the new campus for the school which is located at 4300 NE Killingsworth Street.
Guests tour the new campus during the a reception hour.
Guests raise their paddles to support De La Salle North Catholic.
The event also celebrated 20 years of Knight Nation education and featured members of the first graduating class, 2005, and founding President Matt Powell and founding Corporate Work-Study Program Director Mike Jacobson.
2021 Cassin Award Winners Senka Lenn and Cathy Myers (on right) with DLSNC President Oscar Leong
People mingled in the outdoor courtyard during the silent auction.
250 guests are seated in the new Michael Kelley Gymnasium for the dinner and program.
From De La Salle North Catholic High School:
De La Salle North Catholic High School opened in 2001 to provide a faith-based, college preparatory high school education to underserved students from the Portland area. These families needed and wanted a viable and affordable choice of schools to send their students. Other private high schools in and around Portland were not an option for most of them because of the cost and the distance their student would have to travel to go to school each day. They spoke out and said, “put your school right here in our neighborhood.”
De La Salle was the first school to replicate the innovative Corporate Work Study Program pioneered by Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago. There are now more than 37 schools throughout American cities that model their school on this Cristo Rey model.
De La Salle North Catholic is sponsored by The De La Salle Christian Brothers and is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland/Western Oregon. A nationwide, independent rating agency has identified De La Salle North Catholic High School as the most diverse private high school in all of Oregon.
Students at De La Salle North Catholic High School attend class four days per week and work for a local company one day each week as part of the Corporate Work-Study Program (CWSP). The CWSP provides work experience, business contacts, and helps offset the cost to educate them. This school exists to provide this unique educational opportunity to families who would not be able to afford a private, Catholic education. Our goal is to develop tomorrow’s community leaders by making high-quality education accessible to motivated young people in a learning environment that values cultural, spiritual, and ethnic diversity. We don’t turn away any capable, motivated, or interested student because they cannot afford our modest tuition.
Portland, OR. This Red Panda is one of many animals that had a chance to play with pumpkins this October at the Oregon Zoo. The zoo is also encouraging parents to bring their costumed kids to ‘Howloween’ for treats and fun. The zoo provides a safe setting for this Halloween tradition, where costumed trick-or-treaters learn about healthy habitats for wildlife in a fun scavenger hunt throughout the zoo.
Treat bags are available at the end of the scavenger hunt for an additional fee of $3 per participant. In keeping with the zoo’s mission. Activities are best suited for children ages 2-12, but all are welcome.
Here’s a video with those cute animals playing with their pumpkins:
Here are some snapshots of the animals:
From Oregon Zoo:
What’s different for Howloween this year?
Make sure your costumes include masks that cover your nose and mouth.
Instead of collecting candy and toys throughout the zoo, Howloween participants may purchase pre-filled treat bags that can be collected at the end of their scavenger hunt. Treat bags are $3 each; tickets for the treat bags will be available for purchase online.
All tickets must be purchased in advance, in timed-entry segments. Please note that due to capacity restrictions, even infants need to be counted. Infants are free with a paid adult admission, but must have a ticket.
Portland, OR. The theme for the October 16th virtual benefit, “Weathering the Storm” addressed the challenges many have faced navigating the pandemic. INCIGHT navigated its own rough waters during the past 18 months and yet the nonprofit stayed buoyant. Dan Friess and local TV personality Natali Marmion were hosts for the event, which raised $130,000. INCIGHT is dedicated to “Changing Hearts and Minds,” “Leveraging Obstacles,” and “Unlocking Potential” for those with disabilities through education, employment, and independence.
Julie Resk, Mair Blatt and friends Weather the Storm together.
Storm watchers Gary Buczkowski, Rosemary Buczkowski and Meagan Kimball host a house party in support of INCIGHT.
INCIGHT co-founder Scott Hatley reports from Majestic Cape Meares in Tillamook County.
The INCIGHT team enjoys the success of the night.
The event showcased stories of success and highlighted the important partnership with Hood-to-Coast Relay which helped keep INCIGHT on its feet during COVID by providing pro-bono office space.
The virtual benefit featured reports from remote locations such as Cape Meares in Tillamook County and Charbonneau in Wilsonville, Oregon.
We could not have held this event without the generosity of our presenting sponsor, the Safeway Foundation. Other sponsors for our event include:
INCIGHT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has been Unlocking the Potential of People experiencing disabilities for more than 17 years. INCIGHT’s services have influenced thousands of students, job seekers, educators, parents, employers, and community members. The INCIGHT mission is one that invites and challenges everyone to think, feel and behave with more equity and expectancy.
Portland, OR. Portland Opera is celebrating a return to in-person performances with three performances of Puccini’s grand opera Tosca at the Keller Auditorium. The performances of Tosca are on October 29th, 31st, and November 6th. “We are over the moon to be returning to the Keller Auditorium this Friday for the first time in 727 days,” says General Director Sue Dixon. “Tosca is the perfect opera for our return to the theater after all of this time — it’s grand, traditional, passionate, and beloved. It’s really a classic for a reason.” This production will feature a number of company debuts, including tenor Noah Stewart as Cavaradossi, seen above, and Soprano Alexandra LoBianco will make her Portland Opera debut in the title role.
The piece tells the story of Tosca, a renowned diva, in Rome in 1800. An artist-activist has won her heart, and his revolutionary sympathies provoke the wrath of Scarpia, the corrupt chief of police. Her devotion and moral resistance are challenged by abuses of power, attempted rape, and tragedy—as this high drama builds to its haunting finale.
Gordon Hawkins as Scarpia and Alexandra LoBianco in the title role of Puccini’s Tosca. Photo by Cory Weaver/Portland Opera.
Dixon continues; “We’ve spent the last 18 months following the most up-to-date guidance, shifting our policies, and keeping health and well-being at the forefront of our decision-making. We are committed to keeping everyone involved safe. For this reason, all audience members must show proof of vaccination or negative PCR test to attend a show at Portland Opera this season, and everyone is required to wear a mask inside the theater (except when consuming food or beverages). Audience members will be asked to present this proof of full vaccine or negative COVID-19 test result, as well as verify their ID, prior to entering the theater to have their tickets scanned. At this point, children under the age of 12 (for whom there is not currently an available vaccine) will not be admitted to performances. We’ve also worked with our unions to create a COVID action plan for our cast, crew, and staff working on Tosca.” Detailed information about Portland Opera’s COVID-19 policies can be found here. If postponed, alternate COVID-19 dates for this production are May 13 – 21, 2022.
“We recognize that some people may not be ready to come back to the theater in person – and that is okay! We launched a digital channel, Portland Opera Onscreen, as a way to connect with our audience and perform throughout the pandemic, and we will continue to stream our performances here into the future. For Tosca, audience members can stream the opera on demand November 16th-December 31st.”
With the launch of the 21/22 season, Portland Opera welcomes Artistic Director Priti Gandhi, who joined the staff in early September. “I am delighted to be here in Portland for my first production as Artistic Director, and to welcome this incredible cast and creative team to Portland” shares Gandhi. “Tosca is full of passion, romance, tragedy, and politics. It is the perfect grand opera for a return to the theater.”
Noah Stewart as Cavaradossi and Damien Geter as Angelotti in Puccini’s Tosca. Photo by Cory Weaver/Portland Opera.
Soprano Alexandra LoBianco, whose performance as Tosca has been described as “thrilling” by Opera News, will make her Portland Opera debut in the title role. This production will feature a number of company debuts, including tenor Noah Stewart as Cavaradossi, baritone Gordon Hawkins as Scarpia, and tenor Katherine Goforth as Spoletta. Baritone Deac Guidi returns to Portland Opera as Sacristan, bass-baritone Damien Geter (Portland Opera’s co-artistic advisor) returns as Angelotti and the Jailer, and baritone Zachary Lenox returns as Sciarrone.
Conductor Tiffany Chang will conduct Puccini’s lush score, which features the beloved arias “Vissi d’arte,” “E lucevan le stelle,” and “Recondita armonia.” Chang, who makes her debut at Portland Opera as well as Opera Columbus this season, serves as artist-faculty at Oberlin Conservatory and Berklee College of Music, and was a recipient of a 2020 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award as well as a recent OPERA America Grant for Women Stage Directors and Conductors.
Stage director Linda Brovsky will make her Portland Opera debut directing this grand, traditional production. Performances will also feature the talented local and regional musicians who make up Portland Opera’s orchestra and chorus.
From Portland Opera:
Portland Opera appreciates the ongoing support of funders including the National Endowment for the Arts, Oregon Arts Commission, James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, Multnomah County Cultural Coalition, Oregon Community Foundation, and the Regional Arts & Culture Council, including support from the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and the Arts Education & Access Fund.
You can find more information about Tosca here, and for more information, and to purchase tickets visit portlandopera.org or call Patron Services at 503-241-1802. For more information, patrons may also contact the Opera Concierge at [email protected], Monday through Friday from 10 PM–5 PM.
Grand Ronde, OR. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde redevelopment project at Willamette Falls is slated to receive $2 million in federal funding toward infrastructure improvements at the former site of the Blue Heron paper mill. The news comes out of U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley’s office, which announced plans for an upcoming Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill.
Senator Jeff Merkley said, “I’m pleased I was able to secure this $2 million in support of the Grand Ronde Tribes’ ongoing effort to clean up and restore the Blue Heron site at Willamette Falls—a location that holds significant historical and cultural significance to tribal nations. I will continue to advocate for this funding as it moves through Congress, and do everything I can to support the sovereignty and self-determination of tribal nations in Oregon.”
Here’s a video about the project:
The site is located in the center of Oregon City, Oregon, at the majestic Willamette Falls, the second largest waterfall in the United States by volume. It suffered years of heavy industrial use at the Blue Heron paper mill, which closed in 2011.
The demolition at the Blue Heron site in Oregon City kicked off in September. As demolition occurs, everything is being sorted so it can be recycled.
As a part of the broader redevelopment effort, which kicked off with demolition in September 2021, Grand Ronde will use this federal funding to improve street infrastructure and utilities on-site. These infrastructure improvements will cost around $3.7 million. This work will include new public access streets and an extension of Main Street from downtown Oregon City into the site. The previously vacated Water Avenue will be constructed from 99E to 4th Street, and 4th Street will be extended from Water Avenue to Main Street. Along with new streets, new public utilities will be installed to serve the development, including sanitary and storm sewers, a water main and facilities, streetlights, and traffic signals.
“Since its foreclosure, the old Blue Heron site has sat empty and abandoned. The funding allocated to the Grand Ronde Tribe under the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development appropriations bill will allow us to make significant improvements to the property’s infrastructure and take this project one step closer to welcoming family and friends back to Willamette Falls,” said Cheryle A. Kennedy, Chairwoman of the Grand Ronde Tribal Council. “We want to thank our Senators for work they’ve done to highlight this important project.”
The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill also includes support in a variety of other areas, including affordable housing and homelessness services. The bill is the basis for negotiations with the House, as Congress works to fund the government for fiscal year 2022.
Senator Merkley is the only Oregon member of Congress from either chamber since Senator Mark Hatfield to serve on the Appropriations Committee, considered to be one of the most powerful on Capitol Hill. He joined the committee in 2013 so that Oregon would have a strong voice in decisions about the investments our nation should be making.
The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon includes over 30 tribes and bands from western Oregon, northern California, and southwest Washington. For more information, visit www.grandronde.org.
Portland, OR. Over 150 guests gathered to cut the ribbon and officially open the new De La Salle North Catholic High School. The school is located at 4300 NE Killingsworth Street in Northeast Portland. The new facility includes state-of-the-art science labs, a visual arts center, and a new gym. It will serve up to 350 students—significantly more than the 280 who attended at the previous location on North Fenwick Avenue.
Amanda Weingarten ’05, Lech Kaiel ’05, Jonna Frater ’06, and Nik Tucker ’14.
Former Principal Tim Joy along with Lisa Bendt and Charles Leverton from the Multnomah Athletic Club.
Oscar Leong, Brother Chris Patiño and Tim Joy pose next to the statue of St. John Baptist de la Salle.
The Kelley Family in the Michael Kelley Gymnasium.
Board members Cyndy Maletis and Mary Boyle, and guest Gay Jacobsen.
Mary Boyle, the honorary co-chair of the Capital Campaign Committee, said “When we found out that we needed to have a new campus, our own campus, we started looking around and working with the architects and trying to see what kind of campaign we could do, and what we could raise, $30 million was out in the air and we said no way can we raise that amount of money, maybe $15 million? Little did we know, with an incredible campaign committee and all our donors and supporters that we were able to complete a full gym and renovate this whole school and raise $26 million during a pandemic.”
De La Salle North Catholic High School opened in 2001 to provide a faith-based, college preparatory high school education to underserved students from the Portland area. These families needed and wanted a viable and affordable choice of schools to send their student. Other private high schools in and around Portland were not an option for most of them because of the cost and the distance their student would have to travel to go to school each day. They spoke out and said, “put your school right here in our neighborhood.”
De La Salle was the first school to replicate the innovative Corporate Work Study Program pioneered by Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago. There are now more than 37 schools throughout American cities that model their school on this Cristo Rey model.
De La Salle North Catholic is sponsored by The De La Salle Christian Brothers and is a part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland/Western Oregon. A nationwide, independent rating agency has identified De La Salle North Catholic High School as the most diverse private high school in all of Oregon.
Students at De La Salle North Catholic High School attend class four days per week and work for a local company one day each week as part of the Corporate Work-Study Program (CWSP). The CWSP provides work experience, business contacts, and helps offset the cost to educate them. This school exists to provide this unique educational opportunity to families who would not be able to afford a private, Catholic education. Our goal is to develop tomorrow’s community leaders by making high-quality education accessible to motivated young people in a learning environment that values cultural, spiritual, and ethnic diversity. We don’t turn away any capable, motivated, or interested students because they cannot afford our modest tuition.
Portland, OR. 170 supporters attended the Oregon Episcopal School (OES) ‘Ties & Tennies’ event on October 16th. The celebration, held in an outdoor tent, was designed to thank the school’s major donors, particularly supporters of the expanded and remodeled 42,000 square foot athletic center. The OES community raised $13.5 million for the new athletic center, which was constructed during Covid, and completed in June 2021. Longtime supporters Don and Alicia Morissette, seen above, are parents of four OES alumni and Capital Campaign co-chairs. They were presented with a framed piece of the former gym floor as a thank you for their leadership. A new athletic space in the facility is called Morissette Court after the family. It honors their passion to give back to future generations of athletes. Morissette Court has full-size basketball and volleyball courts, and two basketball and volleyball practice courts when the bleachers are retracted. OES Head of School Mo Copeland explained, “The family has been all-in as champions and supporters of OES and we are in their debt for their efforts in inspiring donors and the community to forever make this spectacular building a reality.”
Parents Jeanine Fukuda and Kevin Walkush connect with OES Head of School Mo Copeland
Copeland explained, “The building is truly a game-changer for our students and campus and our community.”
A court remodeled from OES’s previous gym is named for Kris Van Hatcher ‘70 (second from left), who celebrated with son, Addison ‘06 (left), Missy Smith, associate athletic director (second from left), and Dennis Sullivan, athletic director.
Oregon’s Episcopal Diocese bishop, The Rt. Rev. Diana Akiyama, and husband, Michael L. Jackson.
Oregon Episcopal School’s donor thank you event was held outside in a tent with its newly expanded and remodeled athletic center as a backdrop.
Here’s a video about the new facility:
The new athletic facility almost doubles the school’s indoor physical education and athletics capabilities, enhances OES’s already successful and inclusive no-cut athletics programs, and creates a new hub that meaningfully connects the entire school community.
The “old gym” was also upgraded and the space was named for OES’s first student to graduate with 12 varsity letters, a longtime coach, and athletic director Kris Van Hatcher ‘70. Van Hatcher was joined at the event by his wife, Karen, son Addison ‘06, and his wife, Laura.
“The strength of our inclusive and winning athletics program is in large part thanks to Kris and it is only fitting that we recognize his incredible influence at OES by naming our west gym in his honor,” said Copeland.
From OES:
Among the woodlands, wetlands, and wildlife of the hills of Southwest Portland lies the unique educational experience that is Oregon Episcopal School. The school occupies a 59-acre campus where 880 students in Pre-K– Grade 12 share an excellent faculty, a college preparatory curriculum, and a strong sense of community.
Offering a true liberal arts curriculum, OES is dedicated to scholarship and an enriched academic environment of “learning by doing” that strives to help each individual reach his or her fullest potential. Small classes provide intimate learning environments that allow teachers to instill in each student a love for learning and the joy of discovery. Learn more about our Academic philosophy and Essential Competencies.
The oldest Episcopal school west of the Rockies, OES values developing the spirit as well as the mind. Though steeped in Episcopal heritage and tradition, the school welcomes students of all beliefs. We provide instruction about all major faiths, and encourage individuals to discover their own spiritual path. Learn more about our Episcopal tradition.
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