Oregon Great Escapes Scrapbook
Starlight children and families in Oregon have helped put together this scrapbook of past events. This page shares personal stories about how Great Escapes have helped connect local seriously ill children and their families.
Find out more about our Great Escape program.
Highlights and Snapshots from Great Escapes
At a recent Great Escape, Starlight families enjoyed Oregon Children’s Theatre (OCT) production of “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse,” based on the book by Kevin Henkes. This was the second generous Great Escapes donation from OCT! Families received VIP seats at the spacious Keller Auditorium in downtown Portland and enjoyed a warm welcome from Stan Foote, OCT Artistic Director. The nearly sold out crowd clapped and cheered for Starlight, which brought smiles to our families’ faces.
The families were invited backstage for their own private acting workshop provided by Stan. He engaged our families with fun games that stirred joyous laughter. Everyone enjoyed being silly together, and many even took a step out of their comfort zone by participating in the acting exercises.
At the end, each child received a signed poster from the cast. In addition, the girls received a purple plastic purse (of course!) and the boys received a mini sports bag, each filled with lots of items related to the play. It was a most memorable day!
More than a dozen Starlight families gathered together to create a special Winnie the Pooh bear for themselves and one for a seriously ill child in the hospital as part of a promotion between Starlight and Build-A-Bear. The Build-A-Bear Workshop® staff at the Washington Square Mall in Portland did an outstanding job creating a memorable experience for children and their parents. After the bears were created, families were treated to dinner at a popular local restaurant. A great time was had by all, with cheers of "this is fantastic" and "thanks for an amazing time" coming from the families.
One very memorable Great Escape was held at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry with the theme of Celebrating Summer Solstice. Starlight children and their families had a blast exploring the museum and munching on a dinner of pizza and salad. To get the kids involved, a special scavenger hunt was created, which featured fun questions about the exhibits, discovery labs, OMNIMAX's "The Alps" and Planetarium "NW Skies." The children and families also received prizes and gift bags for their participation in the scavenger hunt.
During a Great Escape at one of the discovery labs at the Oregon Museum and Science and Industry, Josh was experiencing first-hand the causes of static electricity: "Great Escapes can be a HAIR raising experience!"
Starlight families enjoyed a day of hands-on craft making, which included designing jewelry and a personalized photo album at the annual "Sparkling Sundae" Great Escape event, sponsored by Jewelers for Children and Oregon Jewelers Association. Everyone especially loved going home with a special airbrushed tattoo from DF Designs. The ice cream dessert station, which included a decadent chocolate fountain, was also a hit, as children and their parents lined up to enjoy the very sweet and tasty afternoon treats.
A letter from one of our families about the event:
"We were awestruck when we walked into the room and saw the elegant buffet table laid out with every kind of treat a child's heart could desire. All the decorations were so beautiful the children were just amazed. The kids spent their day making ornaments to decorate our future Christmas tree, painting pumpkins, making jewelry and getting spray on tattoos (which I think a lot of the adults had fun with this one). As the parents of children who endure so many countless medical procedures and doctor appointments it is such a blessing for us to get to see them have fun and enjoy life."
If you would like to find out more information on how you can help or get involved in Oregon Great Escapes, please contact Teri Eastburn, Great Escape Coordinator at 503.298.3862 or teri.eastburn@starlight.org.