Page 6
September 25, 2019
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
photo by
n aim h asan
Local students from the sixth grade through college are honored during the recent Maurice Lucas Foundation celebration dinner and auction
benefitting after-school education, mentoring and other supports for under-served students. David Lucas, executive director of the foundation
named for his late father, the Blazer great Maurice Lucas, and Karen Barker who manages the foundation’s mentoring and athletic programs,
are also pictured.
Supporting Students and Honoring a Legacy
Maurice Lucas
Foundation
sets a record
A community-driven foundation
named in honor of the late Trail Blaz-
er great Maurice Lucas to bring af-
ter-school education, mentoring and
athletic programs for under-served
students at Harriet Tubman Middle
School and six local high schools is
celebrating the results from a recent
celebration and auction that raised
more than $757,000, a record, for
the nonprofit organization.
More than 600 attendees gathered
for the event held Sept. 7 at the Port-
land Hilton.
Maurice Lucas was the leading
scorer on the 1977 NBA champion
Portland Trail Blazers and a strong
supporter of local youth. He touched
the lives of many through his giving
ways.
David Lucas, Lucas’ son and the
foundation’s founder and executive
director, served as the gala’s master
of ceremonies. He is continuing his
father’s legacy of community ser-
vice.
“We created the Maurice Lucas
Foundation in 2010 to honor my
dad, Maurice “The Enforcer,” he
told the crowd.
The dinner featured many of the
students who have already advanced
through the foundation’s program,
some now college freshmen and el-
igible for the foundation’s Howard
Hedinger Memorial Scholarship.
Two of them received Jordan Brand
Wings scholarships.
“Our students are hungry for the
future, and they stand on the shoul-
ders of so many of you in the room
tonight to be able to pursue their
dreams,” said David Lucas. He also
led a toast to the foundation with his
mother, Pam and his brother, Mau-
rice Lucas II.
Former Blazers Bill Walton, Bob-
by Gross and Lionel Hollins, and
current Trail Blazer Zach Collins,
presented the foundation’s annual
Maurice Lucas Enforcer Award to
family members of the late Howard
Hedinger, a Portland philanthropist,
a friend of Maurice and a strong sup-
porter of the foundation.
The glittering array of sports stars
and local dignitaries also included
Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts and
local philanthropists Mike and Karie
Richardson, Vanessa Morgan, Bob
Quillin and Rick Stanley. Trail Blaz-
er broadcaster Kevin Calabro again
served as emcee. Attendees danced
into the morning hours at an after
party featuring official Blazer DJ
O.G. One.