Portland, OR. Over 220 guests came together at the Oregon Golf Club to celebrate Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp’s 38th Annual Auction and Gala. It was the first fully “in-person” gala since 2019. Above, Donor, Karen Anderson raised her paddle in support of MHKC. The benefit on April 14th, raised $225,000 to support Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp, a local nonprofit providing equitable access to outdoor recreation for individuals with developmental disabilities. Attendees were treated to tray-passed bubbles from the Stoller Wine Group while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and listening to music from MHKC’s very own, Staff Infection Band. (Photo credit, Andie Petkus)
Featured Camper, Harrison Halstead with parents, Chip and Kristi
Longtime MHKC supporters, Wendy Anderson & Gary Pope
Executive Director, Dave McDonald and KGW News Channel 8 Reporter & Emcee, Art Edwards
Auctioneer, Dale Johannes working his magic
About Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp:
There are few places where individuals with disabilities can spend a week joyfully focusing on their abilities. For over 85 years, Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp (MHKC) has offered incredible outdoor recreational programming for campers with developmental, intellectual, and physical disabilities at its fully accessible 22-acre campsite in the Mt. Hood National Forest.
On any given summer day, our campers are catching fish, conquering their fear on the adventure course and zipline, splashing at the pool, riding a horse for the first time, whitewater rafting, paddling a canoe on Trillium Lake, and dancing the night away at campfire. Wheelchair accessible trails and innovations such as adaptive saddles, harnesses, and bicycles make the traditional camp experience available to all. Camp doesn’t just offer outdoor activities, it offers a chance for people with disabilities to make new friends and build community in a friendly, non-judgmental environment where they can feel empowered and included.
Each year, MHKC offers 8 weeks of Main Camp, where campers enjoy a one-to-one camper-counselor ratio with the option for outgroup adventures, including Trip & Travel, Tent & Travel, and Lakeside Camp where campers pitch tents on Trillium Lake, paddle canoes, go whitewater rafting and more. June brings the opportunity for new campers to experience MHKC through Family Camp, while experienced campers can come back to Camp in the snow through two weekend winter retreats.
Portland, OR. The Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp (MHKC) auction went virtual in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. MHKC raised over $215,000 to further its mission of empowering children and adults with developmental disabilities through equitable access to the outdoors and recreation.
Originally, the event was scheduled for the same night and was planned to include live entertainment, dinner, silent and live auctions at The Nines hotel. To ensure the health and safety of their guests during the COVID-19 crisis, MHKC switched gears with just a few weeks of planning to put on their first-ever virtual event. The week-long event started on April 15th with the silent and live auction.
On April 18th, MHKC had its virtual event with auctioneer, Kelly Russell and Executive Director, Dave McDonald live-streaming on Youtube allowing their guests to watch from the safety of their home and interact via chatroom.
Here’s a video about the camp:
From Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp:
Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp has been in operation for over 85 years and has served over 17,500 children and adults with disabilities. On any given summer day, you will find campers catching fish, conquering their fear on the Adventure Course, splashing in the pool, riding a horse for the first time, whitewater rafting, and dancing the night away at campfire with new friends. Wheelchair accessible trails and innovations such as adaptive saddles, harnesses and bicycles make the traditional camp experience available to all. Camp fosters a sense of accomplishment and allows people with disabilities to experience independence and freedoms they are often denied. MHKC’s focus on equity and inclusion brings together campers and student counselors, creating lasting friendships, breaking down misperceptions, encouraging personal growth, and positively changing lives forever. To see a recap of the virtual event, visit https://vimeo.com/412482275 .
If you would like to support MHKC, please visit www.mhkc.org to make a donation or to learn more. The mailing address is 10725 SW Barbur Blvd Suite 50, Portland OR 97219.
Portland, October 20th. The Bosco-Milligan Foundation kicked off its 25th year of service to Portland with a celebration at the Melody Ballroom in Southeast Portland. Auctioneer, Chris Sheik; Executive Director, Cathy Galbraith; President, Fred Leeson and Leland Hanson all worked to make the event a success. The Foundation is a local organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and education about local history.
Master of Ceremonies, “Handyman Bob” Strong; Auctioneer, Chris Sheik; and Volunteer, Stephanie Downer. This photo is a raffle drawing.
This year’s auction drew more supporters than any prior auction.
from left to right are: Auction Committee Chair, Eileen Fitzsimons and Auction Manager, Barbara Pierce share a hug after the auction was completed.
MC Handyman Bob during the dessert auction
The foundation, startedby Jerry Bosco and Ben Milligan, two men who shared a zeal for preserving and caring for Portland’s cultural heritage, saw first-hand the incredible generosity and dedication of Portlanders towards their organization in a record-breaking evening.
The environment was festive as the night began with the Melody Ballroom decorated heavily in silver for the 25th anniversary theme. Prior to the auction’s start the organization had already broken one record by selling out of tickets for the first time in its history. As the night proceeded, the generosity of Portlander’s and their care for preserving their city’s cultural heritage was most impressive halfway through the live auction, during the collective bid. The goal of the collective bid was to raise $25,000in order to be able to maintain and catalog the organizations collections of historic architecture. By the time the donations were all tallied, that goal was more than doubled, totaling over $50,000.
Immediately after the collective bid came a major announcement from Craig Kelly of Venerable Properties. During a teary-eyed speech he declared that in honor of the late Art Demuro, a prominent activist for maintaining the historic integrity of Portland and an important member of the Bosco-Milligan Foundation, an endowment for the organization is going to be established with further details to be announced later on. The collective bid along with Craig’s announcement inspired the room and as the auction continued bidding was higher than ever.
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