From a Single Ripple, A Tide of Change
GALA 2024
November 15 • Portland Art Museum
2024
honorees
The efforts of our three honorees, born of decades of commitment to expanding their potential and making a difference each makes a ripple, a wave, and a tide of change for the equity and justice movement. They were selected through a public nominations process that yielded more than 80 inspiring leaders making change for our community.
inspire
DRAGATHON
Producers: Eden Dawn, Emma McIlroy, Poison Waters
Honors a person or business / organization whose bold and joyful equity work inspires others.
Staged in Portland at the drag venue Darcelle XV Showplace on July 10–12, 2023, Dragathon set a Guinness World Record for the longest drag stage show. It was conceived and produced by Emma Mcilroy, co-founder of Wildfang, with Poison Waters and Eden Dawn, in response to the Tennessee Adult Entertainment Act and similar anti-drag legislation across the United States. Dragathon was also a fundraiser, yielding more than $300,000 for the LGBTQ+ youth support service, The Trevor Project.
Participants included locally and nationally recognized drag performers and celebrities as emcees. The event featured 600 songs and 700 set changes, an around-the-clock audience and set a new record of 48 hours, 11 minutes, and 30 seconds for a drag show.
Producers are now filming “Dragathon: Meeting Hate with Joy,” a feature-length documentary exploring the record-breaking event with intercuts of the personal stories from the performers and emcees involved.
innovation
Honors a person or business / organization whose equity work is newly at the forefront and driving new changes.
After working as a family nurse practitioner for a decade, Lois and her husband launched CHO Wines, the first Korean-American winery in Oregon, and she transitioned to a full time role as its CEO.
In 2023, Lois founded and launched the Oregon AAPI Food and Wine Fest and nonprofit to shine a light on Asian American and Pacific Islander representation in the food and beverage industry. They celebrate the diverse and delicious contributions of local AAPI chefs and winemakers through a dinner series. She is also the author of “Making of a Winemaker” blog and the subject of Jonathan Lue’s short film, “Harvest Widow,” a heartwarming and inspiring story about self-discovery, love, family, and wine.
For this reason, the Chos have been named a 2023 Future 40 Tastemaker by Wine Enthusiast and a 2023 Drinks Innovator by SevenFifty Daily.
impact
VIRGINIA GARCIA MEMORIAL HEALTH CENTER
Honors a person or business / organization whose equity work has been underway for many years and whose commitment has long been embedded as a core purpose.
Formed in 1975 after the avoidable death of Virginia Garcia, the six-year old daughter of traveling farmworker parents, the community rallied together to open the first Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center in a three-car garage, determined to prevent similar tragedies from occurring.
Today, Virginia Garcia provides healthcare services to 52,000 patients a year in Washington and Yamhill counties at five primary care clinics and pharmacies, six dental clinics, a Women’s Clinic, and five school-based health centers. They also provide outreach to schools, community health fairs and to migrant and seasonal farmworkers at local camps and commercial nurseries through our mobile clinic. More than 60 languages are spoken at the clinics each year.