Portland, OR. The American Heart Association celebrated its 22nd annual Heart Ball on February 24th at The Sentinel Hotel in downtown Portland. The event supporting local and regional advocacy, research, education and prevention efforts raised more than $802,000 in the fight against heart disease and stroke. (Photo credit, PortlandEventPhotography.com)
The leadership team for the event included, Dan Holmes, General Manager, Siemens; Nima Darabi, Vice President, Hoffman Construction; Jordan Bader, President, Acme Construction Supply & Chairman, 2018 Heart Ball; Jordan Pape, CEO, The Pape Group; Bart Dickson, President, OEG, Chairman-elect, 2019 Heart Ball; Brant Hunsaker, Vice President, Wells Fargo; and Jade Thelin, Financial Services Professional, New York Life.
The evening was led by 2018 Heart Ball chairman Jordan Bader, President & CEO, Acme Construction with event emcee Nora Hart from FOX 12 Oregon. Kara Markovich, whose daughter Ulla was born with a congenital heart defect, shared her passionate and inspirational story showcasing the impact of funds raised to support families.
Mom Kara Markovich with daughter Ulla and husband Greg.
Next year, the 2019 Heart Ball will be led by chairman Bart Dickson, President, OEG and will be held on February 23, 2019. Details at PDXHeartBall.heart.org or contact Jana.Barnes@heart.org.
From the American Heart Association:
The American Heart Association is working with citizens and leaders, collaborating with neighbors and supporters. We are unraveling complex health issues in our community with a powerful combination of groundbreaking research and community leadership. These critical changes improve Oregon & SW Washington for all – moving us closer to a community, and ultimately, a world free of heart disease and stroke.
What are we doing to improve Oregon & SW Washington? Click here to find out!
Portland, OR. City Lights was the theme for the Riverdale School District Auction at the Leftbank Annex. Benefit Chair, Kristen Best and committee member, Allison Williams, helped coordinated the volunteers, donors, student artists, sponsors, attendees, and entertainersat February 24th event. The auction raised funds for Riverdale PTC programs including $50,000 during a paddle raise for District-wide technology and emergency preparedness/safety initiatives.
Riverdale supporters give a big pat on the back to Auctioneer Matthew DiLoreto.
Riverdale teachers enjoying a night out.
220 attendees were enjoying food by Chefstable Catering, wine and beer were donated by A to Z Wineworks, 10 Barrel Brewing and Taft & Mina Stricklin.
Student artwork was popular at the event.
Silent auction items, including student artwork and “Chance Balloons” generated about $22,000 in auction revenue.
Auction team members credited with making the evening run smoothly included:
DJ Max Barenberg of Blackboard Music
Auctioneer Matthew DiLoreto
Photographer Brian Crippe
Catering by Chefstable
Flowers by Gavin Younnie, Outdoor Scenery Design
From the Riverdale School District:
The Riverdale School District is an independent public school district. It was founded in 1888 and has always enjoyed widespread community interest, involvement and support. Today, Riverdale Grade School (PreK-8) and Riverdale High School (9-12) serve more than 600 families living in a residential, wooded area called Dunthorpe, located seven miles south of downtown Portland, Oregon, and adjacent to the city of Lake Oswego. View our district boundaries.
Riverdale School District is committed to providing an exceptional college-preparatory education for all students that is personalized, learner-centered and academically rigorous. Our simple but powerful goal is to produce students who know how to use their minds well. The curriculum in each grade level marries core academic disciplines with art, music and experiential learning. Students are required to demonstrate their deep understanding of fundamental subject matter through classroom work, including individual and group projects.
Plus, learning at Riverdale isn’t confined to the classroom. Students are encouraged to spread their wings and expand their minds through field studies. Starting with day trips in lower grades, overnight trips beginning in 4th grade, and week-long field studies in middle school and high school, these excursions provide the opportunity to use classroom knowledge in real-world, experiential settings.
Portland, OR. With global activism for women’s equality fueled by movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp there was worldwide momentum for this year’s International Women’s Day. In England, Prince Harry’s fiancée Meghan Markle urged schoolgirls to break down gender stereotypes by pursuing careers in science, math and engineering. The World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report prediction is that gender parity is over 200 years away, therefore this year’s theme for International Women’s Day was Press for Progress and organizers used #PressforProgress on social media.
International Women’s Day is celebrated each March 8th and draws attention to the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
Several hundred Portlanders celebrated International Women’s Day by marching downtown and gathering in Pioneer Courthouse Square. The march, designed to protest gender inequality, was organized by the activist group, Don’t Shoot Portland.
The International Women’s Day organization released several videos, like the one below, about Iceland’s progressive traditions.
Time Magazine celebrated women who stepped forward as #SilenceBreakers. They were TIME’s Person of the Year 2017.
Locally, five women took to the stage to tell their stories of persistence at an event at called, Our Bold Voices Presents: NEVERTHELESS SHE PERSISTED.
The local event was also a special fundraiser for the Family Preservation Project.
Here’s more information on the speakers highlighted at the Portland International Women’s Day event:
Alicia Heddon
Alicia is a Native Oregonian and a mother of 2 young boys. She enjoys spending time outdoors with family and staying active with CrossFit and running. Alicia is an avid traveler and has been traveling with her boys before they could walk.
Cosette “Coco” Leary
Cosette “CoCo” Leary has overcome a childhood of poverty and abuse, raised four children through hard work and painful decisions, and has gone from surviving off of welfare benefits to earning her a degree with honors while serving as a staff member in both a Senatorial and Congressional office.
Denise Peña
Denise was born in Brasil but grew up here in the United States. She’s the mother of two and works advocating on behalf of victims. Her hobbies include traveling, fitness and you can find her hiking with cans of wine in her spare time.
Stacey Rice
Stacey Rice is a speaker, educator and consultant who found her way to Portland from the North Carolina mountains a little over six years ago. She is a leader on transgender issues and loves sharing the difficult and joyous journey of being a transgender person. Stacey was recognized in 2016 as a Queer Hero NW by the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific NW and is the former Executive Co-Director of the Q Center.
Ellen Wolfson
Ellen Wolfson is a social worker, community builder, musician and storyteller. She plays in a popular Portland women’s marimba band, Chicamarimba. She, her wife, and her golden retriever live outside of Portland, Oregon on 15 acres where she helped raised four children. She is best known for her ability to draw people together and build safety nets through community.
About the the Family Preservation Project and Vera’s Purse:
Named in honor of former mayor, Vera Katz, Vera’s Purse was created by a group of women who want to help low-income, older women to escape and avoid homelessness.
This fund may be used by Friendly House Senior Program and SAGE Metro Portland clients for short-term emergency rental assistance, application fees, and other eviction prevention and homeless intervention supports. Vera’s Purse provides Friendly House staff with yet another tool to help the vulnerable among us to live safely, with dignity and security. All donations to Vera’s Purse go directly to client assistance.
To make a contribution online: click here To make a contribution by mail, make checks payable to Friendly House with Vera’s Purse in the memo field. Mail to:
Portland, OR. 275 attendees came to the Mittleman Jewish Community Center (MJCC) on March 4th for the Friends of the Center Brunch. The event raised nearly $100,000. The Brunch featured special guest speaker, Susan Stamberg, the nationally renowned broadcast journalist and Special Correspondent for NPR. She posed for a photo with MJCC Executive Director, Steve Albert and Sarah Glass, the event emcee, to Stamberg’s left.
Susan Stamberg is the first woman to anchor a national nightly news program, has won every major award in broadcasting, and has been inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the Radio Hall of Fame.
Also at the brunch, MJCC inducted Tom Goldman, NPR’s Sports Correspondent and Aidan Schneider, the most accurate kicker in the history of Oregon football into the Oregon Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and honored two students: Laz Glickman and Layton Rosenfeld with the Harry Glickman Scholar Athlete Award.
2018 Harry Glickman Scholar Athlete Award Winners: Layton Rosenfeld and Laz Glickman.
Founded in 1914, the Mittleman Jewish Community Center began its life as the B’nai B’rith Building on SW 13th Avenue and Mill Street, quickly becoming the hub of Jewish living for Portland’s growing Jewish population. From its beginning, the Center has always served all families without regard to religion, background or ability to pay.
For many local families, the JCC has been a tradition for generations. Many recall learning to swim from the legendary Mickey Hirschberg (who taught swim lessons for 49 years), or playing basketball with Harry “Polly” Policar (who spent 45 years at the Center). More than one family can trace their roots to the Center since many married couples tell stories of meeting at the Center.
In 1971, the Center moved to its current location on SW Capitol Highway and has expanded immensely over the years. During this period, before they had their own facility, the Portland Trailblazers held their practices in the MJCC gymnasium. The building’s name was changed to the Mittleman Jewish Community Center in 1976 to honor Helen Rena Mittleman following a significant donation from member Harry Mittleman. In 1987 and in 1996, wings were added to accommodate Portland Jewish Academy. In 2003, the Sportsplex was created for indoor soccer and gymnastics.
In 2004, the Center faced a challenging period. Due to the commitment of Jordan Schnitzer and the emergency board he led, the MJCC embarked on a major capital campaign to renovate the building and thrive in a new era. The MJCC’s subsequent capital campaign—Roots & Rafters—has enabled the Center to make much-needed upgrades to the aging building, while providing an endowment to address future capital needs.
Thanks to these major facility improvements, the MJCC is now a thriving community center, with close to 1,800 member units, representing more than 3,750 individuals. Several monumental events and activities take place at the J including Israeli Independence Day celebrations, Purim carnivals, Jewish Community Orchestra concerts, bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings, quinceañeras and more. The Center welcomes people of all faiths and backgrounds for cultural events, sports classes and leagues, a state-of-the-art fitness facility, afterschool activities for kids and drop-in childcare. Over 1,000 people come through the doors daily.
Summer is a particularly busy time on campus when MJCC summer day camp—one of the oldest camping traditions in Portland—is in session, offering full-day coverage to working families with a variety of options including arts and crafts, swimming, sports, theater, cooking, and more. Since 1947, kids love their summers at the J and return year after year.
For over a century, the MJCC has served as the living room for the Jewish community as well as Southwest Portland. With your help, the MJCC will continue to meet the needs of our community for generations to come.
Portland, OR. This year’s Oregon Ballet Theatre gala was a tie-in with OBT’s current production. Patrons flocked to the Alice (in Wonder) Ball which featured a Red Queen’s after party. At the event, OBT Dancer Alexa Domenden, Jordan Schnitzer, and OBT Soloist Eva Burton took time to address hundreds of supporters. The benefit at the Portland Art Museum was on February 3rd.
An OBT school student entertains supporters.
Jimmy Crumpacker, Courtney Singer and Rob Goodman
The many guests included Howard Hedinger and to his left Blake and Mark Bruun.
Pink Martini’s China Forbes serenades the crowd.
Denise Stewart, OBT Artist Director Kevin Irving, Steven Stapp
Oregon Ballet Theatre is staging the west coast premiere of a new full-length ballet: Alice (in wonderland). Created in 2012 by Septime Webre with an original score by American composer and violinist Mathew Pierce, The Washington Post called it a “giddy parade, a pop-art dream, a feat of fevered imagination.” The mad adventure is filled to the brim with the delightful characters found in Lewis Carroll’s classics Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, uniquely brought to life with surreal sets, zany costumes, puppetry, and powerfully expressive dance. Alice (in wonderland) is at the Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., obt.org. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday, 2 pm Saturday, noon Sunday, though March 4.
Here are some photos from the production:
Alice (in wonderland) is at the Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., obt.org. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday, 2 pm Saturday, noon Sunday, though March 4.
From Oregon Ballet Theatre:
Mission Statement
Oregon Ballet Theatre is committed to sharing our passion for the expressive power of ballet, inspiring an enduring appreciation of dance, and connecting in meaningful ways to our community through excellence in performance, training and educational programs.
About OBT
OBT is the largest professional ballet company in Oregon, employing nearly 200 people and attracting artists from around the globe with our 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. Our mission is dedicated to the vitality of, and access to, world-class ballet performance and training in our region.
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 4-show main stage season, we train dancers from 4 years old to 80 years old through the professional and recreational classes at the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre. Many of our students go on to successful professional careers at companies including the Joffrey, the Dutch National Ballet, and within our own organization.
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This fund may be used by Friendly House Senior Program and SAGE Metro Portland clients for short-term emergency rental assistance, application fees, and other eviction prevention and homeless intervention supports. Vera’s Purse provides Friendly House staff with yet another tool to help the vulnerable among us to live safely, with dignity and security. All donations to Vera’s Purse go directly to client assistance.
