Michael Allen Harrison & Julianne Johnson Benefit Concert
An Evening with Michael Allen Harrison and featuring Julianne Johnson
February 22, 2018
5:00 PM | Silent Auction Begins
7:00 PM | Concert Begins
Admission $25.00
This year’s annual event, “An Evening with Michael Allen Harrison and featuring Julianne Johnson”, will be held February 22nd at The Salvation Army Gresham Corps and Community Center located at 473 SE 194th Ave Portland, OR 97233. The event will include hors d’oeuvres, silent & live auction, and the music of Michael Allen Harrison and Julianne Johnson, as well as students from our own Salvation Army Youth Music Academy.
Gresham and Portland area friends have helped hundreds of area families and youth with quality after school and music programs by supporting The Salvation Army’s annual fundraising event “An Evening with Michael Allen Harrison”. Last year’s event raised more than $21,000 for programs for at-risk youth in our community.
Statistically, 95% of the families in our Rockwood and East Multnomah County area neighborhoods are receiving free or reduced lunches. These same folks have difficulty providing after school care for kids ages 6-17. Many children are coming home from school to an empty house. The after-school hours are the most challenging times to keep children away from harmful activities including drugs, crime and gangs. In the words of William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army, we decided to “Do Something!”
Our After-School Youth Center, now in its 7th year of operation, was designed as a response to this challenge. Hundreds of families found a safe and quality After School Program and Summer Day Camp at The Salvation Army in Gresham this past year. The program, now open five days per week from 2:30-6:00 (elementary ages) and now averages of 42 kids and teens per day. Scouting and character development classes are offered. Private and class music lessons are given in piano, guitar, brass, choir, drums, and music theory, as well as computer training and educational tutoring. This 2017-2018 school year we launched a new program (L.E.A.D.) for youth ages 13-17, a leadership program “Leadership Equipping and Development” offered to students for development and to empower them with leadership skills.
We have identified a need to raise at least $25,000 or more in net income from this event to ensure this important program is funded for the 2018 school year. We hope that you will join us on February 22nd to support the Gresham Music Academy.