The University of Portland hosted a variety of fundraisers over the course of the autumn season. Here’s a rundown of all the campus-wide events as well as hall-specific initiatives.
Villa Maria
“The Proud Men of Villa Maria Hall at the University of Portland took the stage again this year for their annual Holy Cross Fundraiser the “Villa Maria Auction”. After preparing a variety of songs, skits and dances for many weeks, on November 17th, for a crowd of about 800, the men of Villa put on a great show. On behalf of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Tanzania and in partnership with our amazing crowd and UP community Villa Maria raised funds to support the parish and clinic and had a wonderful night of entertainment, laughs and learning along the way! Thank you to all who came to support or who supported from afar!”
View an article and video by the University of Portland’s Beacon newspaper.
View this year’s “Villa Maria” acts via YouTube.
Christie Hall
Christie Hall hosted their annual Christie Pub on Friday, December 7. During this evening of musical talent, featuring men from Christie Hall and other UP students, the community raised awareness and funds for their 2018-2019 Mission Project, Clean Water and Bathroom Project at a Holy Cross school in Plaisance, Haiti. The project will provide clean water access and sanitation – toilets, sinks and showers. This clean water and bathroom project will provide sanitation to many students in the school who do not have access to it otherwise, even in their own homes. Christie Pub is a large event that takes much planning and preparation, but is always a welcomed event at the Pilot House as the UP community has a chance to hear from very talented musicians. This is the hall’s largest program of the year and all proceeds will benefit the Holy Cross mission.
Mehling Hall
On Saturday, November 10, 2018 the Mehling Hall Council organized and implemented the annual Fall Ball which helps raise money for the hall’s selected mission projects, Fundacion Moreau and the St. Marianne Cope Young Women’s Education Project. This year’s theme was ‘Viva Las Vegas.’ There was plenty of food, and lots of dancing as students from all over campus came to dance the night away in support of the Holy Cross missions.
Shipstad Hall
In September, Shipstad Hall hosted the 6thAnnual SandSpike Volleyball Tournament and raised close to $150.00, kicking off their year-long fundraising for their selected mission projects – Holy Cross Lake View Senior Secondary School in Jinja, Uganda and the Bathroom and Clean Water Project at a Holy Cross school in Plaisance, Haiti. Sandspike is a volleyball tournament that welcomes cross-campus teams. Teams pay an entry fee of $12, and all proceeds go to supporting the community’s missions.
The next Shipstad fundraiser will be Penny Wars during the annual War of the Floors, which will be a week long event from January 28 until February 1. Students will get points for their wings by placing coins in collection jars, which will benefit the Hall’s mission projects. Shipstad will also host the Shipstad Soiree, which will be on March 30, and ticket sales will benefit the missions. The Soiree is a black tie gala where Hall Staff presents the annual “Eddie Awards”, the Shipstad version of the Oscars.
Corrado Hall
This semester, Corrado Hall fund raised for their mission, Colegio Fe y Alegria 25 in Canto Grande, Peru, by selling Winter-Candy-Grams to residents of Corrado Hall and the UP community. In the Spring, the community will host their annual Crown of Corrado event on March 23. This event will also benefit the school by collecting donations at the event and having a raffle all while residents perform talents in hopes of being crowned!
Kenna Hall
Photo courtesy of Molly Lowney
Kenna Hall hosted their Holy Cross Mission Fundraiser, the Kenna Lip-Sync, on Saturday, November 10 in the Pilot House. The event welcomed talented lip-syncers up to the stage to show off their skills by performing choreographed routines and battle it out to be named best Lip-Sync Group. Kenna Hall Council, who planned and hosted the event, raised money for their mission project, the St. Marianne Cope Young Women’s Education Project in Bangladesh, by selling raffle tickets for different themed baskets. Kenna Hall Council put a lot of thought and time into organizing the baskets and advertising for the event so to attract a large crowd and share about this amazing project that is empowering young women in Bangladesh and providing them access to higher education. Kenna Hall representatives reported that the event “went really well and was a much bigger success than we were expecting!”
Fields Hall
Fields Hall fundraised for the “La Fuente” project in Chile during Fall Semester. They collected money through free-will offers during weekly liturgies, made and sold “Fields made Tamales”, and sold certificates for donations made in the name of loved ones for Christmas.
In all they collected about $250 which will all benefit the work of La Fuente. By far the most lucrative fundraiser are the certificates of donations, Fields Hall will be offering these again at Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Additionally, the community is gearing up for “Pilots after Dark” a fundraiser consisting of trivia games and various raffles, all to benefit “La Fuente.”
