PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Portland metro area are hosting their Be Great Sneaker Ball next week, the organization’s largest fundraising event of the year, to support its mission of empowering kids to reach their full potential.
The Be Great Sneaker Ball, on April 27, will start with a cocktail and blue carpet event at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Attendees are asked to “dress to impress with your best pair of sneakers.”
With 10 clubs in the metro area serving 1,000 kids, CEO Terry Johnson explained, “we do a lot of focus on project-based learning and experiential learning for kids to prepare them for the world of work. We also engage kids in sport and play activities and we make sure the kids’ basic needs are met — which means we provide them healthy snacks and meals for them after school and do things like homework help.”
Johnson says the organization is a pillar in the communities they operate in and pointed to the ways the organization adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic by offering testing and vaccinations while also providing 50,000 meals to the community.
“It’s not just about the kids who come to the club, but it’s also about the families and communities around us.”