PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Open School, an alternative school, is gearing up for its Change the Game 2023 fundraiser to benefit 500 underserved high schoolers in the Portland metro area.
The May 3 fundraiser will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Loft on Southeast 8th Avenue in Portland and will feature student stories, food, drinks and trivia.
Since 2019, Open School has paused its annual fundraising event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Having been absent with COVID over the last few years, we have forged ahead. We’ve pushed through. But now we’re asking the community to come back out again, join us in the celebration and make an investment in our students and our community as a whole,” Open School Executive Director Kimberlee Pierce Sheng said.
In addition to its alternative school in East Multnomah County, the program also offers its Step Up mentorship program in Portland Public Schools.
“Our school’s objective is to provide an opportunity for students that have been underestimated, they’ve been counted out. It’s an opportunity for them to have a fair, equitable opportunity to engage in their own educational process,” Pierce Sheng said.
The fundraiser will help support the school’s educational and art programs in addition to wrap-around services to help kids facing hunger or financial troubles at home or give them the chance to go on college tours.
“Changing the Game is not just about changing up the way that we do fundraising, but it’s about acknowledging that person that’s been key, critical in your life that’s created unique opportunity for you to change your perspective and so we honor those people as a part of our celebration,” Pierce Sheng said.
Community members who are unable to attend the fundraiser are encouraged to donate online or volunteer for the school.