Many Thanks Meet Eat Discuss Fundraiser with Jewel Lansing

Many Thanks

Jewel Lansing “Meet Eat Discuss” Social Fundraiser

Planning for this first Portland League “Meet Eat Discuss” social/fundraising event on Nov. 7th came out of the League’s Development Committee* during the spring of 2009. This led to Kris Husdon and Mary McWilliams meeting Jewel Lansing for lunch. All three are in the League’s book group and the seed for this idea was planted there. Jewel Lansing’s experience as an elected auditor for both Multnomah County and city of Portland, plus authorship of a number of books, including Portland: People, Politics, & Power, 1851-2001 seemed to resonate with the League’s mission and spirit. At the lunch Jewel helped us frame what this social/fundraiser could be and agreed that a discussion of her book would make a great topic for an evening of conversation and presentation for League members and their significant others as well as friends of the League. Jewel offered her book and herself as a speaker to other book groups, as well as the evening social.
Publicity was through the League VOTER, the hard work of Jessica Sweeney for local media, emails to League members and follow up telephone calls, postings on bulletin boards, and word of mouth. Books were purchased with a generous author discount from Jewel. Cost of the postage from Arizona was absorbed by Tom Booth of OSU Press. Sixty books were sold in all. Slightly under $2,000 (net) was raised for the Leagues’ regular fund from the share of the proceeds for the books, the evening event for 40 at the McWilliams’ home (with another eight unable to attend at the last minute**) and Jewels’ royalties. Jewel donated an additional amount to bring the total up and over $2,000, as she said, “$2,000 is easier to say.”
Expenses were kept at a minimum by using e-mail (and occasionally telephone) for publicity, invitations, and directions to the event; and by the generous donation of food and beverages. Thanks go to the individuals who, already having a copy of Jewel’s book, donated their additional copy to a local high school library – Debbie Aiona, Molly Kohnstamm, and Connie Morgan. Edith Fuller, a friend of the League facilitated these book donations.
More thanks to the additional generous support in time, energy, equipment, or in-kind contributions of the following people not mentioned above: Carol Cushman, Mary Hepokoski, Pat and Alan Osborn, Betsy Pratt and Philip Thor, Minda Seibert, Barbara and Bill Stalions, Carol Wilson, Jan Wolf, and Avalon Wine Gift & Gourmet, Corvallis, for a discount on Adelsheim wine (The Adelsheim’s mother was a League member). Thanks to you all.
*2009-10 Portland League Development Committee who nurtured this inaugural “Meet Eat Discuss” program from inception to delivery: Regular Members – Carol Cushman, Kris Hudson (thanks Kris for the fine introduction of Jewel on Nov. 7th), Debbie Kaye, Mary McWilliams (chair), Pat Osborn, Jan Wolf; and Occasional Members – Mary Hepokoski, Margaret Noel, Betsy Pratt, and Carol Wilson
**Some people were prevented by circumstances from attending the Nov. 7th event at the last minute and we appreciate your support: Lynn Baker, Pat Chor, Suzanne Flynn, Mary Hepokoski, Beth Johnson, Judy Litt, and Jan and Don Wolf. And we also thank those people who were not able to attend but knew early enough and so could offer their place to another person thus enriching our evening: Dana Fischer and Lorie James