Featured Story
Pam’s Party is big win for food bank
12/27/2011
“Pam’s Party for Women Who Love Water and the Oregon Food Bank” has become a THPRD fundraising success story.
The fifth annual event, attended by about 50 charitable souls on Nov. 19 at the Beaverton Swim Center, raised $2,450 in cash donations, a remarkable total for an event of its size. Toys and food also were donated.
Pam’s Party is organized by Pam Gross, a deep-water aerobics patron at the swim center. She established the event as a way to celebrate her 70th birthday and to “give back,” by collecting food and toy donations and bringing friends together at the pool.
THPRD donates the facility and aerobics instructors, Pam’s friend Marge Wilson brings a couple of her popular cakes, and Program Coordinator Lori Leach makes punch. Everyone, it seems, enjoys fitness, friendship, good food and the opportunity to help a good cause.
OK, not everyone. Men aren’t allowed to attend, but a handful of them wrote checks anyway. Beaverton Swim Center Supervisor Sharron Patapoff said the event has become a perfect kickoff for the season of holiday giving that continues with THPRD’s food and toy drive.
“I’ve never seen so many toys in our barrel,” Patapoff said on the last official day of the drive, Dec. 15. “They’ve emptied it three times already.”
