A4 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017
Our Community
IN BRIEF
Hospital
administrator to
provide update
The public is invited to
learn about new develop-
ments at Good Shepherd
Medical Center during
the upcoming Hermiston
Chamber of Commerce
B2B Luncheon.
Nick Bejarano, market-
ing and communications
director, will share on the
topic of “What’s Hap-
pening at the Hospital?”
Tuesday at 11:45 a.m. at
the Hermiston Conference
Center, 415 S. Highway
395. The cost for the no-
host lunch, which is ca-
tered by Nookie’s, is $10
for members and $13 for
non-members.
Those planning to at-
tend are asked to RSVP
by Friday. For more infor-
mation or to register, con-
tact 541-567-6151, info@
hermistonchamber.com
or visit www.hermiston-
chamber.com.
to help raise money for
EOTEC and the plowing
event.
Organizer Lee Carlson
said horse plowing is be-
coming a lost art, and he
hopes the competition will
help renew interest. He
said at least 12 teams are
already slated to partici-
pate, and more are likely
to sign up. The event is
open to the public.
“We’d like to get more
younger people involved
in this,” Carlson said. “It’s
a lot of fun. We need to
promote it, to get more
people involved in want-
ing to do this.”
Judges will grade the
teams based on how deep
they plow, how straight
the rows are and how
well the team works to-
gether. It’s an intense job,
Carlson said, and one that
could use some fresh fac-
es.
For more information
or to sign up, call Carlson
at 541-571-4045.
Museum foundation
EOTEC hosts horse
plans special board
plowing competition meeting
The Eastern Oregon
Trade and Event Center
will host a horse plow-
ing competition and ex-
hibition this weekend in
Hermiston.
Prizes will be awarded
for teams on both walking
and riding plows. And,
members of the public can
even get in on the action,
walking behind one of the
plows for a small dona-
tion.
CC Plowing starts
Saturday at 10 a.m. at
EOTEC, 1705 E. Airport
Road, Hermiston. Do-
nations are encouraged
A special board meet-
ing of the Umatilla Muse-
um and Historical Foun-
dation board is planned to
inform current members
of changes and allow the
election of board mem-
bers and officers.
The meeting will be
held Saturday at 11 a.m.
at the museum, 911 Sixth
St., Umatilla. All current
members are encouraged
to assist the vice president
in a successful transition
toward future endeavors.
For more information,
call the museum at 541-
922-0209.
E-mail your community news items to:
community@hermistonherald.com
Volunteers cook up fundraiser to benefit Laurie Ball-Kiser
By TAMMY MALGESINI
Community Editor
Friends and volunteers
with the Community Fellow-
ship Dinner are continuing to
serve up support for Laurie
Ball-Kiser, the longtime co-
ordinator of the twice-yearly
meals.
Tom Marks, who first met
the Hermiston woman at the
First Christian Church and
has volunteered with the hol-
iday meals for two decades,
said Ball-Kiser was trans-
ferred to Regency Hermiston
a couple of weeks ago. While
she is closer to home, her
medical bills continue to pile
up, Marks said.
“She’s drowning in debt
and we’re trying to help her
out,” he said.
A benefit dinner is Sunday
from 4-7 p.m. at the Herm-
iston Senior Center, 435 W.
Orchard Ave. A suggested do-
nation of $10 is appreciated
for the meal, which includes
ham, turkey, cheesy mashed
FILE PHOTO
Laurie Ball-Kiser gives
directions to volunteers
during a past Community
Fellowship Dinner.
potatoes, vegetables, rolls,
coffee, tea and dessert.
Marks said donations have
been made for the food and
use of the senior center. In ad-
dition, it’s an all-volunteer ef-
fort, so all money raised will
go to help Ball-Kiser. Marks
said people can still get on
board to help with the event,
as they are expecting a large
turnout.
While being treated for
a kidney stone and urinary
tract infection diagnosed in
September, Ball-Kiser suf-
fered at least one stroke. In
addition to time spent in a
recovery home, she has had
extensive hospital stays, in-
cluding the intensive care
unit at Kadlec Regional
Medical Center.
Although she has medical
insurance, when a GoFund-
Me campaign was set up in
late January, it was reported
Ball-Kiser and her husband,
Joe, were facing more than
$20,000 in medical debt. That
campaign recently indicates
nearly $5,000 has been raised.
Cathy Stolz, owner of
the Chuckwagon Cafe, said
Ball-Kiser often reaches out
to others, aware of their needs
and struggles.
“She’s just a warm and
loving woman who loves
helping people,” she said.
“It’s a ministry for her.”
It’s the community’s turn,
Stolz said, to reach out and
minister to Ball-Kiser. Karen
Snyder, who helped set up a
benefit account, agreed. She
said people who aren’t able
to help financially are asked
to provide prayer support for
the Kisers.
People can also make do-
nations via:
• A GoFundMe link at
www.gofundme.com/lau-
rie-ballkiser-benefit-fund
• By check or cash via
the Laurie Ball-Kiser Bene-
fit Fund at Columbia River
Bank, 1033 S. Highway 395,
Hermiston.
• Drop off cash or checks
for the Laurie Ball-Kiser
Benefit Fund at Chuckwag-
on Cafe, 81027 N. Highway
395, Hermiston.
For more information on
how to help, call Jan Cassens
at 541-720-8262 or Cathy
Stolz at 541-567-6329.
Wildhorse Foundation giving tops $10 million
Hermiston Herald
The Wildhorse Founda-
tion recently announced it
had surpassed $10 million
in total giving, which it dis-
tributes through quarterly
grant awards.
George Murdock, board
chairman, said the huge
milestone reflects the rich
tradition of the Confeder-
ated Tribes of the Umatilla
Indian Reservation in shar-
ing and giving back to the
community.
“A study of history ac-
tually reveals that Native
Americans have a culture
of giving and sharing dat-
ing back hundreds, if not
thousands, of years and our
board is proud to be able to
contribute to that legacy,”
Murdock said.
The foundation manages
a community benefit fund
established by the Confed-
erated Tribes of the Uma-
tilla Indian Reservation.
The board considers grant
applications in the areas
of public health and safety,
education, the arts, histor-
ic preservation, gambling
addiction services, salmon
restoration, environmental
protection and cultural ac-
tivities. During the history
of the foundation, more
than 1,750 local and region-
al nonprofit organizations
have benefited from Wild-
horse grants.
The foundation also
announced fourth quarter
awards, which included 28
disbursements for a total of
$205,369. The local recip-
ients and purpose for the
grants include:
HERMISTON: Friends
of the Fair and Rodeo, $10,000
for development of fair and
rodeo facilities at Eastern Or-
egon Trade and Event Center;
Umatilla County Fair, $10,000
for ADA/safety access corri-
dor 1 paving.
BOARDMAN:
Co-
lumbia River Community
Health Services, $3,500 for
medical equipment; River-
side High School, $7,500
for repair and resurfacing
of track; Sam Boardman
Elementary School, $8,000
for Phase 1 of playground
renovation.
ECHO: Echo School
District, $12,000 for com-
munity meeting and fitness
center project.
IRRIGON: Irrigon Ele-
mentary School, $5,000 for
music enrichment opportu-
nity.
The next application
deadline is April 1.
For more information,
visit www.thewildhorse-
foundation.com or contact
Tiah DeGrofft at 541-966-
1628 or tiah.degrofft@
wildhorseresort.com.
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