A6
COMMUNITY
East Oregonian
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Education foundation draws on creative students
Surf’s up for
annual Beach &
Beef Fundraiser
By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — The
Hermiston Education Foun-
dation’s annual Beach &
Beef Fundraiser recently
returned to its roots.
Board member Karen
Sherman said during the ini-
tial years of the event, a num-
ber of the items on the auc-
tion block featured artwork,
including the creative talents
of Hermiston School Dis-
trict students. As time went
on, Sherman said the focus
shifted to the crab and beef
dinner and general auction
items.
The theme of last year’s
event was “Follow Your Art,”
which will continue with this
year’s 11th annual HEF ben-
efi t, Sherman said. Students
from grade school through
high school have been busy
creating items for a portion
of the auction. The artwork
of community members also
EO fi le photo
Known for his culinary skills, Tom Spoo serves up Melissa Sotelo during a past community
event. He will again head the kitchen crew for the 11th annual Hermiston Education Founda-
tion Benefi t. Tickets are now on sale for the Beach & Beef dinner and auction, which is Feb. 1
at Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center, Hermiston.
is featured during the event.
“That was very successful
last year,” Sherman said.
The auction, she said,
will include other items as
well — with many donated
goods and services from gen-
erous individuals and local
businesses. In addition, the
event will feature a card auc-
tion with the winner receiv-
ing 100 gallons of gas from
Heller & Sons. At a cost of
$20 each, only 52 raffl e cards
will be sold.
The event is Satur-
day, Feb. 1 at Eastern Ore-
gon Trade and Event Cen-
ter, 1705 E. Airport Road,
Hermiston. The doors open
at 5 p.m., offering a chance
to mingle and place bids
for the silent auction. The
dinner, which includes all-
you-can-eat crab and steak
kabobs, starts at 5:45 p.m.
The live auction kicks off
at 7 p.m.
HSD employee Tom Spoo
is once again heading up
the kitchen crew. Sherman
attests to his culinary skills.
“Whatever Tom makes is
always really good,” she said.
Students from the district
also are taking part in the
fundraising event. The Kind-
ness Club from Armand Lar-
ive Middle School will assist
with table decorations. And
CommuniCare advisor Liz
Marvin will oversee a crew
of students involved in bus-
sing tables and other tasks.
In recent years, the fund-
raiser has netted from
$30,000 to $35,000. A sepa-
rate entity from the Hermis-
ton School District, the non-
profi t foundation uses money
to provide grants to district
staff for projects or equip-
ment to enhance the educa-
tional experience of students.
In addition, Sherman said
a scholarship program has
been developed.
Initially, HEF awarded
four scholarships. And last
year, Sherman said eight stu-
dents each received $2,500 to
assist them in pursuing fur-
ther academic endeavors.
“We’ve been able to do
that because of the commu-
nity support,” Sherman said.
The cost is $40 per per-
son. For more information
or to purchase tickets, visit
www.hermistoneducation-
foundation.org. Tickets also
are available at the district
offi ce, 305 S.W. 11th St., or
the Hermiston Chamber of
Commerce, located at Cor-
nerstone Plaza, 1055 S. High-
way 395, Suite 111.
———
Contact Community Edi-
tor Tammy Malgesini at
tmalgesini@eastoregonian.
com or 541-564-4539.
having access to computers,
cellphones, tablets or other
electronic devices, the Jona-
than M. Wainwright Memo-
rial VA Medical Center is
offering online tools.
The Walla Walla VA
has numerous virtual care
options for area veterans
— from tracking health
records, managing appoint-
ments and prescriptions to
receiving weight loss sup-
port, accessing programs
for smoking cessation,
dietary needs, and more.
There are a number of
ways veterans can access
virtual care, including
the use of telehealth ser-
vices via www.telehealth.
va.gov. It connects VA pro-
viders with veterans at
Walla Walla VA’s outlying
clinics, as well as larger
VAs to access additional
healthcare services.
Another option is VA
Video Connect, which
offers secure video visits
with a VA provider team
from virtually anywhere,
including from the com-
fort of your home. Veterans
can download an app to an
Apple mobile device or con-
nections can be made via
https://mobile.va.gov/app/
va-video-connect.
For more information
about the VA’s virtual care
options, visit www.walla-
walla.va.gov/features/Vir-
tual_Care.asp. For ques-
tions, contact the local My
HealtheVet coordinator at
509-525-5200,
extension
26464.
— EO Media Group and
wire services
BRIEFLY
Walla Walla
hospice to
celebrate 40 years
WALLA
WALLA,
Wash. — An Evening of
Elegance, the annual wine
dinner and auction fund-
raiser for the Walla Walla
Community Hospice, is cel-
ebrating a milestone.
In 1980, a group of vol-
unteers with donated space
and the dream of caring for
people in the most vulnera-
ble stage of their lives began
serving the region. With
a theme of “Cheers to 40
Years,” the event is Satur-
day, Feb. 8 from 5:30-9 p.m.
at the Marcus Whitman
Hotel & Conference Center,
6 W. Rose St., Walla Walla.
The evening includes a
social time, games, a large
silent auction, and appetiz-
ers and Walla Walla wines.
At 7 p.m., dinner and des-
sert will be served. Also, a
brief presentation will fea-
ture information about the
past, present, and future of
WWCH. Tickets, which are
$100, must be purchased by
Friday, Feb. 7.
A nonprofi t organiza-
tion, Walla Walla Commu-
nity Hospice aims to pro-
vide compassionate care for
those at the end of life and
support for their caretakers
and loved ones. For more
information or to buy tickets
online, visit www.wwhos-
pice.org. Tickets can also
be purchased in the hospice
offi ce, 1067 E. Isaacs Ave.,
or by calling 509-525-5561.
Walla Walla hosts
Women in Ag
conference
WALLA WALLA, Wash.
— Walla Walla will be one
of 34 locations across the
region this weekend hosting
the eighth annual Women in
Agriculture Conference.
“Healthy Farms” will be
the theme of the Saturday
event that runs from 8 a.m. to
3:30 p.m. at the Walla Walla
Legislative Building, 314 W.
Main St.
The one-day conference
takes place at sites simultane-
ously in Washington, Alaska,
Idaho, Oregon, Montana and
Hawaii.
The event is an opportu-
nity to network with other
women farmers and share
stories and practical advice.
The day will start with
a lesson in cultivating per-
sonal resiliency, accord-
ing to details from the WSU
Extension offi ce. Using per-
sonal strengths to focus on
intentional well-being during
times of stress and thriving
through challenges is part of
the presentation.
The focus is to moti-
vate women in agricul-
ture to “develop a self-care
plan and realize the connec-
tion between a healthy per-
son and a healthy farm,” the
announcement explained.
With the interactive for-
mat, the conference will
provide access to headline
speakers at all locations while
tailoring content to specifi c
communities.
Speakers include Brenda
Mack, a third-generation
farmer in Minnesota who
is also a behavior and well-
ness professor with Bemidji
State University, and Shauna
Reitmeier, also a third-gen-
eration farmer who special-
izes in behavioral health with
the Northwest Mental Health
Center in in Minnesota.
Together they will help
women farmers strengthen
their personal health care to
reduce the effects of stress,
worry and exhaustion.
Sue Schneider, Colorado
State University Extension,
will teach women how to
make mindful farming and
personal decisions without
reacting to negative thoughts,
emotions and judgements.
Gabrielle McNally, who
represents the Women for
the Land: American Farm-
land Trust’s Initiative, will
explain that group’s program
to engage women farmers on
conservation, farmland pres-
ervation and land access.
Each location will have a
local panel of women farm-
ers who will explain how
they have developed their
own self-care plans that have
helped them be successful in
farming.
The conference registra-
tion fee is $35 and includes
the workshop, light breakfast,
lunch and conference materi-
als. More details and registra-
tion are at womeninag.wsu.
edu.
Role-playing game
available at
Pendleton library
PENDLETON — An
introduction to Dungeons &
Dragons is available at the
Pendleton Public Library.
Dungeons & Dragons for
Beginners is Saturday from
10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 502
S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton.
There is no registration fee.
An original role-playing
game, Dungeons & Drag-
ons is played and enjoyed by
millions of people. The local
group is designed specifi cally
to help introduce the game to
those who have never played
or have limited experience.
For more information
about library programs, call
541-966-0380 or visit www.
pendletonlibrary.weebly.
com.
the monthly Irrigon Mul-
ticultural
Arts
Center
breakfast fundraiser.
The event is Saturday from
7:30-10:30 a.m. at Stokes
Landing Senior Center, 150
Columbia Lane, Irrigon. The
cost is $4.50 per person.
Several years ago, a group
of concerned citizens formed
as the Irrigon Multicultural
Arts Center. They are ded-
icated to preserving Irri-
gon’s 1921 school building
and developing a regional
art venue. For more infor-
mation, call Peggy Price at
541-561-1737.
Walla Walla VA
highlights virtual
care options
WALLA
WALLA,
Wash. — With many people
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IMAC hosts
monthly breakfast
IRRIGON — A hearty
meal is available during
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