A4 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018
COMMUNITY
BRIEFS
Fundraiser steps up in fight
against multiple sclerosis
Quilt project sets
documentation day
The Irrigon Chamber of
Commerce is gearing up for
Time to Shine, the annual
citizen recognition banquet.
The event is Friday, April
20 from 5-8 p.m. at Stokes
Landing Senior Center, 150
Columbia Lane, Irrigon.
Tickets for the meal, pre-
pared by chef Donna Eppen-
bach, are $25 in advance or
$30 at the door. In addition,
wine and beer will be avail-
able for purchase.
Due to the event’s pop-
ularity and limited seating,
organizers encourage people
to buy tickets in advance.
They are available from Irri-
gon Chamber of Commerce
board members, the Bank of
Eastern Oregon, the Irrigon
branch of the Oregon Trail
Library District or by calling
541-922-3857.
Film shares greatest
story of circus
Ladies and gentlemen,
children of all ages, step
right up for a viewing of
“The Greatest Showman.”
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Volunteers with the Oregon Quilt Project are seeking stories
about quilts and their creators. Appointments are available
for the documentation day event April 23 at the Hermiston
Public Library.
Inspired by the story of
P.T. Barnum, the film follows
the visionary who rose from
nothing to create a mesmer-
izing spectacle known as the
“Greatest Show on Earth.”
After 146 years, the Ring-
ling Bros. and Barnum &
Bailey Circus ended its run
in May 2017. The circus fea-
tured exotic animals, flashy
costumes and death-defying
acrobats.
The PG-rated film will
play Friday at 7:15 p.m. and
Saturday at 2:15 p.m. at the
SAGE Center, 101 Olson
Road, Boardman. Admis-
sion is $3 and includes a bag
of popcorn. Bottled water
and concessions are avail-
able for cash purchases.
For more information,
call 541-481-7243 or visit
www.visitsage.com.
To learn more about The
Arc, call 541-567-7615 or
visit www.facebook.com/
arcofumatillacounty.
Outdoor sale benefits
Agape House
Bowling tournament
benefits The Arc
A parking lot sale offers
a chance to purchase rea-
sonably-priced items and
help support Agape House
programs.
You name the price for
knick-knacks,
clothing
items are five for $1 and fur-
niture is as marked. The sale
is Saturday from 8-11 a.m.
at 500 Harper Road, Herm-
iston. In case of inclement
weather, the sale will be held
indoors. Donations are wel-
come through Friday.
Agape House serves indi-
viduals and families in need.
For more information, to
volunteer or make dona-
tions, call 541-567-8774.
If bowling is up your
alley, you’re invited to par-
ticipate in a tournament
fundraiser to benefit The Arc
Umatilla County.
The event is 6 p.m. Sat-
urday at Desert Lanes, 1545
N. First St., Hermiston. The
cost is $125 per 5-person
team, which includes two
games, shoe rental and door
prizes.
A nonprofit organization,
The Arc advocates for indi-
viduals with intellectual and
developmental disabilities.
They offer activities to help
expanding opportunities for
people with disabilities.
For more information
about the bowling event
or to become a lane spon-
sor ($50), contact Kristi
Smalley at 541-571-0997
or
smalleys@eotnet.net.
The public is invited to a
musical comedy show featur-
ing Rick Huddle.
As a 5-year-old, the sto-
ryteller, musician and the-
ater artist had aspirations to
become a clown. Ditching
the red nose and floppy shoes,
Huddle aims to create better
citizens one laugh at a time.
During his performances,
he teaches social-emotional
skills through songs and
stories.Huddle will present
Songs & Stories: Open Up
& Say HA! Friday at 2 p.m.
at the Echo Public Library,
20 Bonanza St. There is no
admission charge:
For more information, call
541-376-8411 or visit www.
rickhuddle.com.
Storyteller to yuck it
up at Echo library
Emily Nash was diag-
nosed with multiple sclero-
sis at 10:45 a.m. on July 11,
2012.
“You just don’t forget
some things,” the Pendle-
ton woman said.
Nash recently stepped
up to coordinate Walk MS
Eastern Oregon. Previ-
ously held in Heppner, the
event is Saturday at 10 a.m.
at Roy Raley Park, 1205
S.W. Court Ave., Pendle-
ton. Registration begins at
9 a.m. Afterwards, sand-
wiches, water and cookies
will be served, and there
will be drawings for raf-
fle prizes. Also, a pair of
pharmaceutical sales rep-
resentatives will discuss
medications used to treat
symptoms of MS.
Presented
by
the
National Multiple Sclero-
sis Society, money raised
is used to provide support
for those impacted by MS,
advocate for healthcare
policies and fund research
initiatives. There is no set
registration fee. Partici-
pants raising at least $100
can receive a T-shirt.
A chronic disease that
randomly attacks the cen-
tral nervous system, the pro-
gression, severity and spe-
cific symptoms of multiple
sclerosis can’t be predicted.
Symptoms can range from
muscle weakness, numb-
ness and tingling to ambu-
lation difficulties, blindness
and paralysis. Also, about
80 percent of patients expe-
rience fatigue.
With the onset of vision
impairments, Nash went
to her primary care phy-
sician. After numerous
appointments, she ended
up at Oregon Health & Sci-
ence University in Port-
land. Undergoing five days
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY MERILEE MCDOWELL
Emily Nash of Team Em Dogg enthusiastically participates
in the 2016 Walk MS Eastern Oregon in Heppner. Nash
is coordinating the event as it returns to Pendleton on
Saturday, April 21 at Roy Raley Park.
of medical testing — to rule
out everything from medi-
cation side effects to a brain
tumor — a lumbar puncture
confirmed a diagnosis of
multiple sclerosis.
While Nash was relieved
she didn’t have cancer, liv-
ing with MS has been
life-changing. However,
Nash takes it in stride try-
ing to stay positive.
“I just try to do a lit-
tle every day and find joy
where I can,” she said.
“When your body is fight-
ing itself, you just learn to
live with it.”
Active with Walk MS
Eastern Oregon since 2013,
Nash is following the foot-
steps of Merilee McDow-
ell. Diagnosed with mul-
tiple sclerosis in 1977,
McDowell spearheaded the
fundraising walk in Hep-
pner for two decades.
The first event, she said,
included 30 walkers who
raised $2,900. The largest
event drew 115 participants
and raised $13,000.
In the last 20 years,
McDowell said 13 medica-
tions have been approved
for
relapsing-remitting
MS, which cut relapses by
43 percent. The first med-
ication to treat those with
primary-progressive MS,
she said, was approved by
the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration in 2017.
“I’m very proud to know
we had a part in that,” she
said.
While McDowell is no
longer coordinating the
event, she is far from fin-
ished with the fight.
“For the last 40 years I
have struggled with MS but
the experience of walking
with others who share my
struggles has been one of
the blessings of my life,”
she said.
People are encouraged
to pre-register at www.wal-
kms.org. For questions,
contact Tracy Leeper of the
NMSS Oregon Chapter at
tracy.leeper@nmss.org or
503-445-8342.
There’s a
perfect TOYOTA
for everyone!
S
Irrigon to shine
spotlight on citizens
By TAMMY MALGESINI
COMMUNITY EDITOR
2018 Corolla
CAR
Every quilt has a story —
and the Oregon Quilt Project
is seeking to preserve yours.
As part of a five-year
project, volunteers will be
in Eastern Oregon to pro-
vide a hands-on demonstra-
tion of the documentation
process, which will enable
local volunteers to continue
recording quilts beyond the
end of the program. People
are invited to schedule an
appointment to have their
quilt documented. The pro-
cess includes recording a
history of the quilt, its maker,
a detailed physical examina-
tion of the quilt and pho-
tos. Eligible items include
old or new quilts, quilt tops
and quilted garments. Peo-
ple may bring two quilts for
documentation.
Appointments can be
scheduled Monday, April 23
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the
Hermiston Public Library,
235 E. Gladys Ave. There
is a $10 fee for the process,
which includes a registra-
tion number with the Ore-
gon Quilt Project archives.
With permission, volun-
teers will register items
with the Quilt Index (www.
quiltindex.org) at no addi-
tional charge. Maintained by
Michigan State University,
the index has information on
more than 80,000 quilts.
For more information or
to schedule an appointment,
call Jodi Hansen at 541-567-
2882. For more about the
project, visit www.oregon-
quiltproject.org.
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