Party with a Purpose Raises $340,500

Party with a Purpose Raises $340,500

Portland, OR. All Hands Raised Party with a Purpose (#PWAP23), hosted 500+ business, community, and education leaders to help improve all students’ success inside and outside of school. Featuring Latina winner of NBC’s Stand-Up for Diversity Showcase, Gina Brillon, the night featured a heartfelt opportunity to rub elbows with other champions of racial equity. Above are supporters Jordan Elliot (Board member), Chloe Elliot, Tamara Brown (Board member), Dr. Mark Gabriel. The event was held on February 16th at the Moda Center. (Photo credit, Andie Petkus)

Lavert Robertson (All Hands Raised CEO)

Lavert Robertson (All Hands Raised CEO)

Karis Stoudamire-Phillips (AHR Board Chair), Cole Mills (AHR Former Board Chair, Board Member), Poison Waters

Gael Jackson, Hanna Isrealsson, Kim Cortes-Martinez, Michael Bliatout, Elaina Oomen

Gael Jackson, Hanna Isrealsson, Kim Cortes-Martinez, Michael Bliatout, Elaina Oomen

About All Hands Raised:

All Hands Raised works on the ground with school community site teams in several key work areas – engaging a team of community members (often including culturally-specific partners, school staff, and industry partners) as equals. These teams use current school-level metrics to identify root causes, test practices and drive change. Together, the team moves toward the heart of the matter, digging into social and emotional challenges and building bridges through critical transition points in students’ educational journeys. Successes and failures are shared with the entire school, across our school districts and throughout the community. The total integration of partners as equals is an essential strategy to ensure equitable changes in policies and systems – this is how we build to large-scale change.

Wonderball Raises $1.27 Million for Children’s Cancer Association

Wonderball Raises $1.27 Million for Children’s Cancer Association

Portland, OR. The Children’s Cancer Association (CCA) raised $1.27 million at its 19th annual Wonderball gala on September 28th. It was CCA’s biggest event of the year, which helps fuel its mission to prescribe joy to seriously ill children through free innovative programming that leverages music, friendship and nature. Founder Regina Ellis, who is pictured with friends and family, welcomed more than 950 supporters to the Oregon Convention Center for the gala. A Joie de Vivre theme celebrated French culture and the joy of life.

Cedric Berry, Board Member, CCA and Insurance Agent, State Farm; Sarah Berry, Vice President and Director of Business Development, McGee Wealth Management; and Campbell Kidd, Managing Partner, Red Hills Acquisitions, LLC

Kristofor Lofgren, CEO and Founder, Sustainable Restaurant Group

Ron Penner-Ash, Board Member, CCA and Winemaker 

Clare Hamill, Founding Board Chair, CCA and VP, Nike Growth Initiatives and Judi Davis

Scott Burton, Vice Board Chair, CCA and Director of Revenue Management & Portfolio Positioning, Cambia Health Solutions; Allison Clarke, Co-Chair, Ambassador Board, CCA and President, Allison Clarke Consulting; Brian Dickinson, CEO of Asset Protection Partnership; Regina Ellis

Ed Kinateder; Andy Lytle, Board Chair Emeritus, CEO, At the Joy, and Co-Founder Lytle-Barnett; Tara Kinateder, Board Treasurer & Finance Chair, CCA and Executive Vice President, Ferguson Wellman Capital Management

Kevin Dodson, Vice President/CFL, Global Basketball Footwear, Nike; Susan Dodson, Partner, Right On Accounting LLC; Jim Ford, NIKE SuperCore Footwear, DVP; Greg Smith, Category Footwear Leader, Men’s Training Footwear, Nike; Kim Smith; Aaron Cooper, Innovation Expert, Nike, Inc.; Barry Naone, Senior Director Product Creation, Nike Basketball; Julie Moraes; Myron Moraes, Sr. Development and Innovation Director at Nike

Mimes interacting with guests in the hallways before the main event

Erin Tamblyn performing in opening number, “Lady Marmalade.”

Anthony Chan dancing in opening number.

Family speaker, Heidi Bruno shares emotional story before live appeal

CCA-served Levi Seed shares an inspiring speech CCA’s impact during his cancer treatment

John Simpson, Board Member, CCA and startup advisor; and his guests

Blisan and Bill Foudy, President, Target Sourcing Service and CCA Board Member

Eric Gill, President/CEO, Gill’s Point S Tire and Auto; Peter Kwong, Board Member, CCA and Audit Shareholder, Director of Assurance & Advisory, Perkins & Co; Brent Bracelin, Managing Director and Senior Research Analyst, Piper Jaffray; Ian Lombard, Scott Lawrence, founder of Breakside Brewery and CCA Board Member

Eileen McNulty, Physician Assistant, NW Dermatology Institute; Carlene Pride-Sarpong, Founder of Pride Group NW and Managing Broker and Development Specialist at Compass; John Powers, Co Ambassador Board Chair, CCA and Director of Sales, Xperience Real Estate, PDX Property Group; Stephen Bowdon, Department of Neurological Surgery, OHSU; Chris Suarez, CEO of PDX Property Group at Keller Williams; Kristi Weidner

Jesuit High School students and Paul Hogan, (4th from left) Board Member, CCA and Principal, Jesuit High School

John Duley, Co-Founder, Dream Again; Genesis Trujilo, Design Project Manager, Portland General Electric; Chase Renton, Owner and Winemaker, L’Angolo Estate; Noelle Harvey; Marcus Harvey, Founder, Portland Gear; Kelsey Fuson, Marketing Manager, BurnCycle; Jessi Duley, Board Member, CCA and Founder, BurnCycle

CCA-served child, Maria, and CCA Chemo Pal Specialist, Amelia, selling raffle tickets in French attire

Mary and Dana Braner, Chair, OHSU Department of Pediatrics

“Because we know that joy is medicine. We are creating a gold standard for delivering joy-based programming that will one day reach every child in the country who’s facing serious illness,” said Regina Ellis, Founder and Chief Joy Officer at CCA. “Together we have fought to deliver joy to the children and their families of this community. And now we have the opportunity to take what we’ve made here and share it with children across the nation.”

Guests enjoyed live gypsy-jazz music courtesy of the Hot Club on Hawthorne, as they explored a curated silent auction room decorated to resemble a French outdoor marketplace.

The French outdoor theme followed throughout the lobby with vintage bicycles, an antique Citroen car, fresh baguettes and lavender, live painting and, of course, mimes. In addition to creating an outdoor French marketplace environment in the lobby and halls, CCA recreated imagery of the Moulin Rouge inside the main ballroom, including a miniature model of the windmill on the main stage.

The main event opened with a rendition of Patty LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade” sung by Erin Tamblyn and Malia Tippets and augmented with performances by local drag queens: Anthony Chan, Jeremy Sloan, Chadwick Anderson and Erin Shannon. The master of ceremonies for the night, Stacey Murdock, who recently played Gaston in the Portland Opera’s recent production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” carried the program through to the end, where Danielle Barker performed an upbeat cover of “La vie en Rose” to close out the night.

The dinner program featured a record-breaking paddle raise led by auctioneer Kelly Russell of Artisan Auctions. Late-night revelers also enjoyed an after-party with DJ Stray at District East, which carried over the French theme and was hosted by CCA’s young professional board.

Here’s a video about CCA’s programs:

Here’s a link to more information about the Children’s Cancer Association: JoyRx.org/donate.

Chess for Success Game Changer Luncheon Raises $125,000

Chess for Success Game Changer Luncheon Raises $125,000

Portland, OR. Over 150 business and community leaders gathered at the Downtown Portland Hilton for the Chess for Success Game Changer luncheon. Stephanie Kralevich from KPTV was the Master of Ceremonies and posed for a photo board member Gwen Thompson. Business leader and alumna of Chess for Success, Chi Nguyen spoke to the crowd about the effect chess has had on her life, and then she reunited with her old chess coach who also happens to be the King of Chess, Steve Rosenfeld. Chess for Success raised $125,000, which is more money for the program than last year. (Photo credit, Brighid Hackett)

Keynote Speaker Chi Nguyen and her chess coach, the King of Chess, Steve Rosenfeld

Shawn Engelberg, Charlie Engelberg (board chair), Nancy Young, and Curits Young (Executive Director)

The luncheon was held on May 2nd.

Laura Katheryn Smith, Phil Margolin (founder and board member), Gwen Thompson (board member), Michael Malone (Program Manager)

From Chess for Success:

Chess for Success is much more than a recreational, after-school club. It’s an intervention and educational support, provided at no cost to families, that closes the achievement gap for economically disadvantaged and minority youth.

Through learning chess, students develop high-level critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that improve self-esteem, behavior, and academic performance, including attendance, grades, and test scores.

Long-term, our goals include improving high-school graduation rates, participation in STEM programs and careers, and college/workplace readiness, ending the cycle of poverty for at-risk youth.

More info at: https://www.chessforsuccess.org/