High school sports team gives back to the community

By Allie Connick
The Portland Upside
August 2009

Photo by Kim Koenig

Keeping Main Street in Gresham clean is one of several community service activities undertaken by the Gresham Track and Field team. (Photo by Kim Koenig)

With eight combined boys and girls district titles and 15 state champions in the last six years, the Gresham High School (GHS) Track and Field team has certainly established itself as one of the state’s most successful programs. But with the development of a new community service campaign called “Gresham Track Gives Back,” the team is also finding as much success out in the community as they do on the track and in the field.

Created and implemented by head coach Chris Koenig, Gresham Track Gives Back provides athletes the opportunity to perform community service hours within the city of Gresham. Established for the 2008-09 season, the team has already logged more than 80 hours.

“These student-athletes represent the city of Gresham each and every time they put on their track uniform,” said Koenig. “We wanted a way for them to give back to the same community they live, learn and compete in.”

Projects during this inaugural year include preparing Meals on Wheels dishes, serving food at Loaves and Fishes and planting fruit trees at Snow-Cap. They also adopted a one-mile stretch of Main Street and performed multiple clean-ups of the road that runs directly in front of their school.

According to Koenig, “cleaning up Main Street was actually a lot of fun and very rewarding. We literally had business owners and residents coming out to meet us and ask ‘who are you?’ They were so surprised to see these young men and women picking up trash, and when we explained that we were the GHS Track and Field team, they were extremely appreciative.”

Stacy Skerjanec, the Adopt-A-Road Coordinator for the city of Gresham’s Transportation Division collaborated with Koenig to organize the clean-ups, and the permanent signs that were erected to acknowledge the efforts of the team.

He said, “all too often we underestimate what positive contributions and challenges the young people of our community are willing to take on to make a real difference. The Gresham High School track team, a group of fine citizen athletes, has recognized a way that they can give back to the community and do it with a real sense of pride and accomplishment.”

In fact, so many members of the team began helping with the street clean-up that they were able to expand off of their official “adopted” portion into seven additional residential streets surrounding the school.

“The community has embraced the Gresham High School track team’s contributions with open arms,” continued Skerjanec. “We are proud of the effort put forward and civic pride apparent in these future leaders of the community. We hope this example from these future leaders at Gresham High School will encourage more such involvement in this program.”

Even Gresham’s Mayor, Shane Bemis, has taken notice. “The Gresham High School athletes involved in the Gresham Track Gives Back program demonstrate that being great athletes also means being great citizens,” Mayor Bemis said. He continued, “We deeply appreciate their many hours of volunteer service, especially in the tough times we are currently experiencing.”

Organizing all the details for the various projects and signing up volunteers was coordinated by Tim Mowery as part of his senior project. “What I liked most about Gresham Track Gives Back was having the chance to give back to the track program, the school and the community for everything they’ve given me,” said Mowery. “It was also a fun time bonding with my teammates and to see how teamwork has an impact off the track too.”

Mowery graduated from GHS last spring and will now head to Western Oregon University to run track, as well as study Education so he can become a teacher and coach.

Another athlete who volunteered for multiple clean-ups was incoming senior, Sam Crouser. Currently, Crouser holds the American Junior Record for the javelin with a throw of 239’ and spent part of his summer competing against the best in the world at the Pan American Games.

“Picking up trash wouldn’t ordinarily be much fun, but doing it with all your teammates made it a good experience,” Crouser said. “Plus, we could see what a big impact we were making in the community.”

So while the GHS Track and Field team certainly deserves the accolades for their many athletic accomplishments, it is their work in the community that has earned them a standing ovation from the city of Gresham.
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Students respond to call to service

By CJ Mead
The Portland Upside
July 2009

School’s out but the echoes of service day still ring in the halls of Rowe Middle School in Milwaukie. (Photo by Rob Bednark)

Can middle school students really make a difference in their community?

Rowe Middle School’s response to this question is most certainly, “Yes we did!“

Seventh and eighth graders from the North Clackamas School District middle school recently heard President Obama’s call to service and took it personally. The entire student body participated in a project to serve the greater community and make a difference in the lives of its constituents.

Students chose how they would be involved by selecting an area of focus, either literacy, social justice, school beautification, or environmental stewardship. They served in these areas in several different ways. Some assisted elementary school students in one-on-one reading. Others spent the day at Portland Rescue Mission helping the homeless. One group of middle schoolers created a large mosaic for their school entrance, and still others pulled invasive ivy at state parks and recreation areas in several locations in the Portland community.

For many students this was a day of education they will never forget, an opportunity to move outside of the classroom and receive a real life, hands on experience. One student commented, “I didn’t know that school could be so fun.”

To many people the life of middle school students is one of drama, self indulged adolescence and insecurity.

However this day was quite the contrary.

One celebrated, “I have seen [one particular student] many times at Rowe and have always known he could be great, but he has never acted great. Today when he was with a little kindergartner, he was great. I knew he had it in him.”

Students rose to the occasion, taking on tasks and leadership roles that required stepping outside of their comfort zone to make a difference in the community. Helping homeless individuals in downtown Portland can be a daunting task for a student who has never experienced inner-city homelessness.

“Service Learning Day really opened my eyes and showed me how other people live” reported a student.

For others, working hard towards improving the natural and aesthetic environment around them builds a sense of community that will last a lifetime and create active citizens for years to come.

In this current time of budget crisis, this day proved a reminder of the great achievements that are possible from our schools. Such a creative use of the students’ time and school resources proved to be a true act of educational ingenuity, one that educators hope to repeat for years to come at Rowe Middle School.
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CJ Mead believes that when surrounded by positive people amazing things will happen, seeing this firsthand in his youth-development work for local nonprofits in Portland area schools.

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Student artists’ dreams become reality

By Ellen Wyoming
The Portland Upside
June 2009

Josh Gonzalez and Josue Ramirez (Photos by Stephanie Sasse)

Josh Gonzalez and Josue Ramirez amble their way through the crowds at the Breeze Block Gallery on 19th and East Burnside like they’ve thrown fundraisers and talked with strangers about their art all their lives.

Josh and Josue are students at Alpha High School in Gresham, Oregon. Josh is mellow and even-keeled. At first glance you’d take him to be serious, almost shy, his voice always acceptable for the hushed tones of an office or a studious classroom.

Josue, on the other hand, is more animated, with an intense gaze, hands gesticulating to emphasize his speech, and words that carry you away on a wave of energy. The two became fast friends when they met. Their bond is art.

Personality contrasts aside, Josh and Josue have more in common than not. Both boys grew up in rougher neighborhoods but had the strong backbone of dedicated families who knew and understood that their sons had talent. Harnessing that talent and taking it to the next level, however, has been a process rife with growing pains.

Josh remembers his first art as scribbling in the church hymnal when he was 3. Small acts of vandalism followed as did writing on things that were not his. Josue found a thrill in manifesting his art on the blank canvas of concrete walls, which also landed him into trouble. Eventually, along separate paths, they both found mentorship from older artists who recognized their talent and encouraged them to take it off the streets and onto canvas, wood and paper.

Earlier this spring, Josh and Josue heard about a pre-college summer studio art program at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland. Both applied, knowing there was a possibility for scholarships. The program gives high school juniors the opportunity to create compelling portfolios for college applications and scholarships during their senior year as they prepare for post-secondary education.

Josh and Josue submitted portfolios of work they had done outside of school without aid of an art teacher, and both were accepted. They each ranked in the top 25 percent of all national applicants and each received a $1000 scholarship. However the rest of the program costs were out of their reach.

Due to the economic downturn, additional formal funding sources were unavailable, so the staff at Alpha and PNCA sat down and brainstormed. Geof Garner, who works in the Alternative Pathways program for the Multnomah Education Service District, and is a frequent presence at Alpha High School, suggested they hold a benefit concert. Josh and Josue were eager to pitch in to do their part and immediately spread the word that they were looking for musicians and a venue.

Paige Prendergast is the owner of the Breeze Block Gallery. She has known Josh and Josue for a while. They enjoy hanging out in her gallery to “talk shop.” Paige, a strong advocate for their continuing education in art and beyond, immediately agreed to open up her space to the boys when they presented their conundrum.

They came back the next day with a venue, not quite for a concert, but perfect for an art auction and fundraiser.

From there the giving and the momentum behind the cause spread like wildfire. Geof Garner sits on the board of directors for a 501(c)(3) called the Artist Mentorship Program (AMP) with Will Kendall, who started the program. AMP normally works with musicians and provides at-risk and homeless youth the opportunity to build musical skills to express themselves and gain their goals in the arts. When Geof talked with Will about Josh and Josue’s situation, AMP immediately jumped in to help.

Staff at Alpha High School, AMP, and volunteers worked within a tight five-week deadline as they solicited and gathered artwork and donations from around the city. Artists with Portland connections caught wind of the cause and sent in work or donations from Austin, Texas; Jackson, Wyoming; and Washington, D.C. Food and drink donations were solicited from local businesses and given warmly.

At 6 p.m. on Friday, May 22, the doors opened for the art auction and fundraiser. Josh and Josue looked calm and collected. Volunteers were stationed at the entry and at the transaction table. Donated art filled the room and space was at a premium. The collection of work from those who care about the cause showed both the diversity of talent in Portland as well as the strength of giving.

Over 150 people came and went from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Josh and Josue mingled with many new people as well as family members and friends who came to support them. Josue’s parents proudly showed photos of a mural that he was recently commissioned to do for a local barber shop. Josh’s mother beamed with pride and said that she always knew her son was talented and would shine.

At the end of the night a strong crowd still lingered, waiting for results of the silent auction to see if their bids would take home a prize. The energy was high and laughter bubbled as a line of smiling faces queued to pay for their items. The entire community had given and gained.

The extended community raised $5,145. In a final meeting with PNCA on June 2, the momentum carried through and a way was found to alleviate the remaining cost of the program. Josh and Josue succeeded and they carry with them the well-wishes and support of the greater Portland community and givers nation-wide.
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To learn more about AMP and PNCA visit www.amprocks.org and www.pnca.edu

Ellen Wyoming is a jane-of-all-trades and a master of none. She believes in teaching, learning, paying attention, and doing. She loves Portland and gets involved in any way she can.

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