Old men dance, young pups play and a fundraising jolt posted on 10/01/2020
Celebra Con Nosotros
A slice of Latin America arrived in Sandy with the first
annual Fiesta en La Plaza which included music, food and entertainment.
One of the highlights of the festival was the "Dance of
the Old Men," which despite its name, was a lively exhibition of
toe-tapping fun featuring migrant farm workers wearing colorful costumes, masks
and sombreros, clattering on the bricks of the plaza with wooden shoes while
leaning on their canes and clutching their backs like old men.
The "Dance of the Old Men" is a traditional
Mexican dance.
In addition to the food and dancing, there were craft
booths, activities for the children and storytelling.
Deputy Consul Jorge Torres-Mendoza represented the Mexican
Consulate from Portland.
Viva Mariachi Mexico, a mariachi band, ended the evening,
which had the audience clapping along and dancing to the lively music.
Dog Days at Skibowl
Every dog has its day, and the setting for the first annual
Dog Day at Skibowl was perfect, providing dogs of all shapes and sizes room to
sniff, snooze, play, lounge and do what dogs do best. Monica Cory, then media
manager at Skibowl and a self-professed dog lover, came up with the idea which
also tied in with a benefit for Guide Dogs for the Blind.
"Skibowl is a perfect place for this event with its 40
acres of trails and the accessibility and services," Cory said.
The event featured fun runs/walks, a "best pet trick
contest," a raffle and dog-friendly vendors selling everything from
leashes to treats.
Oregon Guide Dogs for the Blind, which has a campus in
Boring, provides 350 guide dogs free-of-charge to visually impaired people each
year. For more information about guide dogs and the incredible work they do,
visit their website at www.guidedogs.org.
WPTCO Fundraising with Mt. Hood Roasters
Wake up, smell the coffee, raise some money and a red-hot
concept of selling coffee as a fundraiser was brewed. Cheryl Gunderson, then
WPTCO vice-president came up with the idea.
"Coffee is something most people buy on a regular basis
anyway ... so I approached Rick Applegate (proprietor of Mt Hood Roasters) and
asked if he had done any fundraising with coffee," Gunderson said.
As it turned out, Applegate had been developing a
fundraising division in their company for some time.
"When Cheryl came to us with the idea we were
elated," Applegate said. "It makes us very happy that our community
found a way to launch this concept with us. We are very thankful for all the
work WPTCO does for the school."
The Leadership Class at Welches School designed a custom
label for the coffee bags, and the yearly fundraiser was in full swing, with
students selling coffee for prizes provided by local businesses. During the
past ten years Mt Hood Roasters has sold 7,000 12-ounce bags and raised $29,000
for the WPTCO from the sale of its coffee. The coffee fundraising for this year
is on hold due to COVID.
By Frances Berteau/MT | 
