Chess for Success
About ten years ago, when I first moved to Portland, I helped put together a community event for the opening of the Eastbank Esplanade. One of the organizations participating that year was Chess for Success. Watching the many children play chess on the day of the event and witnessing the level of concentration that goes into the game regardless of all of the activity going on around them, I began to truly understand their mission: to help children develop skills necessary in school and life by learning chess.
{Willamette Week's Richard Meeker and Johnna Wells introduce the Auction Packages together}
The Chess for Success auction, A Knight to Remember, took place last night at The Nines. It was an exciting night for our BA360 Team because Erin Doherty Ward, one of our affiliate Auctioneers flew in from New York City to be with us this weekend.
{Working the event from the BA360 team were (from left to right): Erin Doherty Ward, Johnna Wells, and her brother Joshua Wells}
The guest speaker of the night, a Chess for Success success story, really brought the house down with his speech. This young man has a certain career in Public Relations and/or Speech Writing if he so chooses.
Did you know that Chess for Success is one of the most effective youth organizations in Portland at accomplishing their mission? At the amount of only $75 per child (and that’s the cost to the organization – it is free for the child), students can become involved in a life-changing opportunity!
