Oregon Children's Theatre to Present CELEBRATING OUR HEROES Fundraiser Next Week
The event is OCT's biggest fundraiser of the year, with goods and services valued at over $125 per person.
By: Blair Ingenthron Oct. 14, 2022
Oregon Children's Theatre (OCT) will present Celebrating Our Heroes: OCT's Season Opening Extravaganza & FUNdraiser on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 2:00pm PST at the Newmark Theatre. The colorful event will feature several family-friendly and fun-filled events, including an exclusive premiere of OCT and TheaterWorksUSA's production of Dog Man: the Musical. The event is OCT's biggest fundraiser of the year, with goods and services valued at over $125 per person. Tickets are $50 for adults and $30 for children (under 18), and are on-sale now. All donations up to $25,000 will be generously matched by the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund.
In addition to performances and activities, attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about Oregon Children's Theatre and its future. "It's no secret that OCT has been in a state of flux for the last several years," says Michael Hammerstrom, Director of Marketing & Development. "The pandemic has been unrelenting on the arts and there have been some truly scary and dark moments for OCT, but here we are opening our first full season in three years, and I can truly say we are full of excitement and empowerment about what lies ahead. OCT is special because of the people, which is why this event turns the table on the everyday heroes who make up our community: our students, families, artists, partners, supporters and staff."
Event attendees will be welcomed by OCT's staff and leadership, including Hammerstrom and Board President, Dre Slaman, and the Executive Director of the New York City-based TheaterWorksUSA, Michael Harrington. A special guest performance by local artist Jillian Snow Harris (half of Portland's acclaimed 'Liza & Liberace: A Tribute' act) will kick off the festivities, followed by the regional premiere of Dog Man: the Musical. After the performance, families can gather for light-fare food and beverages, theater games, crafting activities, and a raffle featuring over $3,000 in family-friendly outings and gifts contributed by local small businesses.
OCT's acclaimed Acting Academy will engage children with lively theater games and an opportunity to learn dance choreography inspired by Dog Man: the Musical, while Tyler Buswell as Donatella Nobody will host a Drag Queen Story Time. Kids can also spend their time crafting their very own superhero persona and pose in a superhero-themed photo opportunity, which includes a souvenir photo to take home. For their participation, kids will be entered to win a complete set of the Dog Man book series, donated by Green Bean Books. Meanwhile, parents can enjoy music, food and wine provided by local winery, Angela Vineyards.
OCT's Season Opening Extravaganza & FUNdraiser is generously sponsored by Angela Vineyards, B+B Print Source, Kaiser Permanente, PDX Parent Magazine, Heffernan Insurance Brokers, McDonald Jacobs Accountants & Consultants, Vancouver Family Magazine, NW Kids Magazine, Farm to Fit, Legacy-GoHealth Urgent Care, and the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer Care Foundation. All donations up to $25,000 will be generously matched by the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund. Raffle prizes have been donated by Artistic Bliss Portraits, ScareGrounds PDX, Hollywood Theatre, Screen Door Restaurant, OMSI, Sarah Bellum's Bakery, Le Bistro Montage Ala Cart, Farm to Fit, Saint Cupcake, Wild Mountain Wax, and Green Bean Books.
Tickets can be purchased on OCT's website at http://www.octc.org/gala, or by calling the box office at (503) 228-9571.
About Oregon Children's Theatre
Founded in 1988, Oregon Children's Theatre (OCT) has served well over two million children, teachers, and families. Its mission is to create exceptional theater experiences that transform lives. OCT is Oregon's largest non-profit professional theater for young audiences and a resident company of Portland'5 Centers for the Arts. Performances are held weekdays for school audiences and on weekends for family audiences. OCT offers numerous school services including study guides, teacher professional development opportunities, in-school workshops, and an extensive outreach program. OCT's year-round Acting Academy offers theater classes for children ages 3-18 and the Young Professionals Company, a year-round mentoring program for teens that includes professional level training, education, and public performances.
Funding for Oregon Children's Theatre's 2022-2023 season is provided in part by the National Endowment of the Arts, Shubert Foundation, the Regional Arts & Culture Council, the James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation, and the Oregon Arts Commission.
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