Season of Giving: Beavers, Timbers staffs assist with area needs during the holidays

PORTLAND, Ore.
- Front office staff members from the Triple-A Portland Beavers and A-League Portland Timbers have been busy donating their time, energy and resources this holiday season, taking part in a number of activities assisting those in need in the Portland area.




SALVATION ARMY CASCADE DIVISION ‘ADOPT-A-FAMILY’ PROGRAM


As part of the Salvation Army’s “Adopt-A-Family” program, the entire Beavers and Timbers staffs have chipped in to assist the Kennedy family, a family of five from Portland.




The Adopt-A-Family (AAF) program matches impoverished families with individual or group sponsors to provide for their tangible needs at Christmas.




Members of the Beavers and Timbers staffs donated their money and time to help purchase “needed” and “wished-for” items for the Kennedys. Staff members have been busy wrapping and packaging a host of canned goods, gift certificates, and special presents for each member of the family. The staff, along with Boomer the Beaver, will present the family with their gift packages this Friday at the Family Services Building, located at 1785 NE Sandy Blvd., in Portland.




The special gift packs also include five tickets to a Beavers and Timbers game, as well as tickets to a Portland Winter Hawks game and gift certificates provided by Fred Meyer.




Adopted families are referred by professional social workers that help them complete an application. An inventory of each family's needs is taken and a holiday wish list is compiled.




PORTLAND POLICE SUNSHINE DIVISION ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE


Several members of the Beavers and Timbers staffs will be assisting with the Sunshine Division’s annual Holiday Food Box Program Wednesday evening and Saturday morning. The successful program provides approximately 1,700 families in need with food during the holiday season.




Staff members, including Timbers head coach Bobby Howe, will assist in the packing of the collected food items Wednesday night and, along with Boomer the Beaver, will volunteer their time Saturday morning as the boxed goods are packed into trucks for distribution to needy families throughout the Portland area.




“PACK-A-BACKPACK” PROGRAM


The Beavers and Timbers are teaming up with other area sponsors to help fill 50 backpacks full of goodies for a group of young homeless teens in a concentrated effort to assist them in completing their high school education.




The Beavers and Timbers each donated 50 gift certificates (two tickets each) that are good for any home game during the upcoming season. Additionally, the Beavers donated 50 sets of baseball cards and the Timbers donated 50 team pennants for the backpacks.