Be Great Ball Raises over $610,000 to support Youth Dreams
How can we help youth in our community make their dreams a reality?
By supporting the programs and services that empower them.
Dreams Start Here
On April 18, 2019, generous supporters of the Boys & Girls Clubs gathered at the Portland Art Museum to celebrate their annual Be Great Ball. This year, we honored the dreams that blossom, are shaped by, and empowered within, our Clubs by the amazing academic programs, workforce skills training, opportunities for creative growth, and youth and family supports we provide. Over 400 guests supported the dreams of our youth by bidding on auction items and participating in a paddle raise that ultimately resulted in the Clubs raising over $610,000!
Guests mingled and socialized under balloon clouds for the cocktail hour and silent auction, meeting teen members and Club staff who held shining stars that could be purchased for the Blue Paradise Raffle, for a chance to visit the Maui coast.
Shauna Parsons and Joe Vithayathil from Good Day Oregon kicked off the night as our guest emcees, taking an Instagram live video to show their feeds a room full of Boys & Girls Clubs supporters. Tim Rippey, a man who has helped shaped the Clubs and supported us on our Board for the last 18 years, received the Roy Ciappini “Be Great” award for his service. Guests learned about the dreams of our current members, staff, and alumni in a video that brought tears of joy to many eyes in the room.
Auctioneer Dale Johannes sang, danced, and kept the energy up into the Bid Frenzy and Live Auction portions of the night, which included amazing prize packages such as our Board Reserve Wine Collection of 43 bottles donated by Board members, and a 7 day trip to Provence, France. Bidders also gave youth the chance to spend time with Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum.
Youth choice, youth voice!
A series of live performances from our members brought wild applause from the audience. Regence Club members helped choreograph their performance, dancing with a group of youth that each got their own solo time to show off some cool moves. Wattles Club combined the power of their volunteer-run choir program with a stunning dance performance from a group of teens.
What do youth dream of today?
“My dream is to be a lawyer.”
“My dream is to help the environment be cleaner and safe.”
“I dream of owning a chocolate factory!”
“My dream is to see change in the world.”
These are just a few of the many diverse dreams among the over 6,000 youth we serve across the Portland metro area. From helping others, to visiting exciting places, becoming a successful entrepreneur, or an MVP in their favorite sport, Boys & Girls Clubs provides the staff, diverse programs, and horizon-broadening experiences that help these dreams come true! A huge thank you to our guests, staff, volunteers, alumni, members and families who came together to share in our dream of empowering youth. You help make our mission a reality!
