Portland, October 13th. 475 guests joined forces to support “I Have a Dream” Oregon at the Nines Hotel. The annual “Dream Big” auction raised $285,000, a 20% increase over last year. Abbey Gibb of KGW was the host for the evening and Timber Joey came out to help. The “I Have a Dream” Oregon program serves over 1,200 Dreamers in Oregon, from pre-K through college. Advocates works collaboratively with other local organizations to provide mentors, access to social and academic wraparound services, and create a “culture of college and career” within schools and Dreamer families.
Dreamers from the “I Have a Dream” Oregon Dreamer School in Reynolds School District before going on-stage at Dream Big 2012
Sara Caldwell-Kan, Class 9’s College Access Coordinator with Class Sponsors Julie & Robb Ball and President & CEO Mark Langseth
Board Member Kay Hall with her husband Dan Hall and “I Have a Dream” President & CEO Mark Langseth smile for the camera in front of art from famed artist Tom Cramer during the social hour
Dreamer School Dreamers help show off the live auction artwork handcrafted with the support of “I Have a Dream” Oregon’s friend Polly Spencer and Alder Elementary Dreamers.
Class 9 Dreamer, Arthur Jackson, delivers a heart-felt special appeal speech about how the Dreamer Program has made all the difference in his life as he approaches high school graduation. Arthur received a standing ovation.
Special guest Timber Joey!
From “I Have a Dream” Oregon:
We believe that, with the right supports, low-income students can overcome barriers to a great education. For over 20 years, we have been helping Dreamer students with three proven core services: long-term relationships with caring adult mentors; access to wraparound services; and creating a “culture of college and career” within schools and Dreamer families.
While our service delivery model has changed, our mission remains the same: to help low-income students succeed in school, college and career.
National: In 27 cities across 17 states – over 14,000 student “Dreamers”
Oregon: Nearly 900 student Dreamers served since the first student class was ‘adopted’ in 1990, with 655 additional Dreamers being served at the Dreamer School at Alder Elementary.
Classes: 7 in Portland and 3 in Forest Grove/Cornelius
Schools: The first Dreamer School was launched in 2011 at Alder Elementary
According to a study completed by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory in 2009, Dreamers that have participated in “I Have a Dream” Oregon programs have benefited from:
Increased high school graduation/GED rates: In 2011, 94% of our Dreamers graduated from high school – nearly 3x the rate for students with their backgrounds.
Increased college attendance
Increased high school completion rates of teen mothers and decreased discipline problems for all Dreamers, including suspensions, expulsions, and referrals to the judicial system.
Where they are in 2012:
– Dreamers from Class 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are enrolled in colleges and universities around the nation
– Class 9 Dreamers are 12th graders with our programming based out of Benson High School
– Class 10 Dreamers are 8th graders with our programming based out of Vernon Elementary
– The 2011 – 2012 year signaled the first year of implementation for the Dreamer School at Alder Elementary
Portland, October 27th. Proprietors of The John Palmer House, Susan Dunn and Maggie Kolkena, opened the doors of their 1892 grand Victorian for Spellbound, Portland Story Theater’s 4th annual fundraiser. Ticket holders crept around the lavishly renovated private home in the Historic Mississippi District whilst sipping white wine Corpse Reviver cocktails. Guests had an intimate look at the entire home, which some claim is haunted, as storytellers regaled them with what they claimed were true stories of the supernatural. (Photo Credit, Scott Bump)
Construction on the John Palmer House was originally started in 1890. John Palmer’s wife died just four years after moving into the home (some say her ghost still haunts its halls.)
Inside John Palmer House
“When Lynne contacted us with the idea of holding a Halloween event at the house, we were delighted!” says current co-owner Maggie Kolkena. “We were looking for ways to give back to our community and we’d been thinking of doing something like this, something involving the arts.” This will be the fourth year in a row that The John Palmer House has hosted this event for Portland Story Theater. The bulk of the proceeds support the work of Portland Story Theater, with a portion donated to a local community charity on behalf of The John Palmer House. “The John Palmer house is the perfect place to hold an event like Spellbound,” says Lynne Duddy, co-founder of Portland Story Theater. Lynne grew up a few blocks away from the Palmer House and the moment she saw the house being renovated a few years ago, she thought it would be the ideal setting for a story theater experience in honor of All Hallows Eve.
Lizzie and Maggie embody the era.
Jeff Burke entertains supporters
Featured in Portland Story Theater’s Urban Tellers Invitational, Mary Welch, enthralls listeners with a performance style that has passion and presence.
Tamara Lynne is the founder of Living Stages and is an outstanding practitioner of Theatre of the Oppressed (Teatro do Oprimido), which is a process of community action, reflection, and transformation through artistic expression.
The John Palmer House is a lavishly ornate Victorian that has been beautifully restored and updated by the current owners, Susan P. Dunn and Margaret Kolkena. For many years the home was used as the Multnomah Conservatory of Music. The Sauter Family purchased the John Palmer House in the late 60’s and used the home as a Bed & Breakfast. In 2008, the home was purchased by the current owners. The property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places (1977) and is designated a Portland Historical Landmark (1972). www.johnpalmerhouse.com/
Portland Story Theater is a 501(c)3 and was launched in 2004 to bring the urban community together to hear and tell true stories that stimulate the mind and rouse the heart. Portland Story Theater uses a unique collaborative approach to co-create story theater that is drawn from real-life experiences. Authentic. Honest. Urban. Portland Story Theater is building empathy, compassion, understanding by transforming our community narrative one story at a time. www.portlandstorytheater.com/
About the performers:
There are all kinds of master craftsmen in the world, Lawrence Howard is a master at crafting stories. One of
the original co-founders of Portland Story Theater, he delivers stories that resonate with adult audiences. This year he’ll be telling a story about being chased by a big black dog….or was it something else? Lawrence is best known for his Armchair Adventurer series, and will be taking “Shackleton’s Antarctic Nightmare” to Off Broadway in New York. www.lawrencehoward.name/
One of the original co-founders of Portland Story Theater, Lynne Duddy is the creator and a performer of the new works solo festival, Singlehandedly, which will be celebrating its 5th anniversary this Spring. Her performance art has been described by The Oregonian as “raw, revealing, and vulnerable” but the stories she tells at The John Palmer House have proven to also be creepy and disarming. This year she shares a true story about an eerie experience between the dream world and reality. www.lynneduddy.com/
Nobody tells a scary story quite like Jeff Burke. Best known as the proprietor of Hipbone Studio, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, unleashes his darker side at this event at the John Palmer House. Jeff has participated in several Urban Teller showcases and is an avid supporter of art in the Portland community. He also teaches figurative drawing at his studio in NE Portland. www.hipbonestudio.com/
Tamara Lynne draws upon some extraordinary experiences she had in Wales to create an unforgettable tale of doubt and indecision. http://www.teatrocambio.org/
Featured in Portland Story Theater’s Urban Tellers Invitational, Mary Welch, enthralls listeners with a performance style that has passion and presence. She likes to say she is a recovering bohemian, but that is always at the risk of having people question just how recovered she really is… Mary is also a visual artist and her work can be viewed at www.myartwhimy.com/
Portland, October 13th. More than 400 guests gathered in the Grand Ballroom of the Portland Art Museum for Food, Wine & Wishes, a gala auction and dinner to benefit Make-A-Wish Oregon. The event raised $265,000 to grant local wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions. Guests enjoyed wine tastings from some of Oregon’s premier wineries including: Sokol Blosser, David Hill Vineyards and Elk Cove Vineyards. ( Photo credit, Eugene W. Wong)
Jamie Morris and Make-A-Wish CEO Laila Umpleby (right) present Kathryn Morris the Katie Star Award
Members of the Board of Directors, Ambassador Board and Junior Board: Members of the Make-A-Wish Boards gather for a champagne toast
Wish recipients Ella Grace Edmonson and Lily Moser auction off Ella’s art
Wish recipient Denton Holmgren with Make-A-Wish Oregon Board Chair Ross Carey
Make-A-Wish Oregon grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. By granting a wish to a child during a time of turmoil for the entire family, Make-A-Wish is often the light at the end of the tunnel for wish kids and family members. Since 1983, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 2,500 wishes in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Portland, October 6th. Legacy Emanuel Medical Center’s 100th Anniversary Celebration included remarks from former ER Doc. Oregon Governor, John Kitzhaber. Guests had a chance to tour emergency vehicles including the Life Flight helicopter, AMR and Metro West ambulances, as well as Portland Fire & Rescue fire engine. (Photo credit, Dodge & Burn Studios)
Hundreds turned out for the celebration
Hands-on demonstrations included the virtual reality pain management system used in the Legacy Oregon Burn Center, and the da Vinci surgical robotic system used in the operating room.
Supporters were also encouraged to visit the Oregon Historical Society to see a new exhibit featuring items from the hospital’s past.
Take a trip back to when surgery cost $15 and nurses canned fruit for hospital meals. “100 Years at Legacy Emanuel” at the Oregon Historical Society examines the stories of those who were born, saved and trained at Emanuel.
The first nursing graduates pose. Legacy Emanuel has been central to the health and growth of the greater Portland area for 100 years — since its 1912 opening in a converted three-story house.
About Legacy Emanuel:
Founded by the Rev. Carl Renhard as a way to help the emerging community, Legacy Emanuel has developed into a pioneering medical center in the region for critical and advanced care. The Oregon Historical Society exhibit features a collection of photos, stories and artifacts that illustrate the history of medicine in Oregon.
Currently, Legacy Emanuel Medical Center occupies a vital role in the metropolitan area and in the region as a medical center with around-the-clock expertise for critical health conditions. With leading care for trauma, burn and intensive care, as well as serving as the initial hub for Life Flight and other critical care transport, Legacy Emanuel is central to serious care. Legacy Emanuel is a medical pacesetter, with specialists in virtually every health care.
Washington County Fairgrounds, October 17th. Jackie Hampton and Tina Bodaghi of Western Family Foods and Laurie Reser of Reser’s Fine Foods were among the Meals on Wheels supporters who raised more than $37,000 in just one hour to provide hot meals to seniors in the Washington County area. It was the organization’s first annual Harvest Breakfast presented by Key Bank. (Photo credit, Julie Piper Finley)
Jason McCleskey, Vice President and Washington County Retail Leader for Key Bank
The capacity crowd of business leaders and volunteers gathered in the Cloverleaf Building at the Washington County Fairgrounds to hear volunteers Laurie Reser, Reser’s Fine Foods, and Tina Bodaghi and Jackie Hampton, Western Family Foods, share their experiences of delivering Meals on Wheels to local seniors. All three are long-time volunteers for the organization. The event received a broad base of support from the business community within Washington County and generated both much-needed funds as well as new volunteers.
Laurie Reser of Reser’s Fine Foods
Key Bank was the event presenting sponsor. Other sponsors included: Frontier Communications, Regence BlueCross BlueShield, Liberty Northwest Insurance, Avamere, Providence St. Vincent Hospital, Ron Tonkin Family of Dealerships and Western Family Foods.
About Meals on Wheels People:Since 1970 the Meals on Wheels People has provided a nutritional and social lifeline for seniors through 35 meal sites in Multnomah, Washington and Clark counties and Meals on Wheels delivery to homebound seniors. With the help of nearly 10,000 volunteers, the nonprofit organization now serves 5,000 meals daily and 1.2 million meals each year. Visit: www.mealsonwheelspeople.org.
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