Salvation Army raises $230,000 for kids' programs

     PORTLAND — It was truly a night all about the kids, and thanks to the support of the community, there will be many, many more days and nights that are all about the kids. A total of 234 people attended The Salvation Army’s 17th Annual All About Kids annual dinner in September at the Oregon Zoo, and in just a few short hours, more than $230,000 was raised for youth in the Portland Metro area.
      In keeping with this year’s theme of “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” the program illustrated how community support has helped The Salvation Army positively influence individuals and how it continually seeks to guide every child it serves to a bright future.
     “It was an excellent event, one that I will remember for the rest of my life,” said Major Don Gilger, Portland Metro coordinator for The Salvation Army. “This is entirely the Lord’s blessing on a lot of hard work that will in turn benefit so many children in our community who desperately need it. Words cannot express my joy at the success of this event ... and the kids get it all!”
     The dinner started with a children’s choir marching into the Cascade Ballroom wearing brightly colored T-shirts and waving pom-poms. The choir was made up of kids from Salvation Army corps from across the metro area who energetically sang three worship songs.
     Dave Scott of KINK-FM, emcee for the evening, introduced Terry Dean, chair of The Salvation Army’s Portland Metro Advisory Board. Scott and Dean presented nine board, council and community members with several Salvation Army awards, including state Rep. Patrick Sheehan, Bruce Carpenter, Becky Tymchuk and Catherine Atiyeh-Mitchell.
      The audience’s attention was then directed to a video that captured the yesterday, today and tomorrow of The Salvation Army’s local work over the years. It featured three people who gave their testimony: a former client who gave birth at The Salvation Army’s White Shield Center, a man who runs the feeding program at The Salvation Army Tualatin Valley Citadel and the coach of the youth robotics program at The Salvation Army Gresham Center for Worship & Service. At the end, it showed the robot moving through a doorway, and as the video faded out, the robot itself turned the corner into the ballroom and made its way to the stage for a small demonstration.
      Renowned local pianist Michael Allen Harrison performed for the first time ever a song, “It’s All About Kids,” he wrote specifically for the event. Afterward, he commented on how vital it is to keep supporting the children in The Salvation Army programs.