Grand Ronde Woman Drives Home the Prize in Support of Doernbecher's Cancer Program

   Portland, Ore.

Winner of Kiwanis Doernbecher Children's Cancer Program's annual raffle has longtime connection with Doernbecher Children's Hospital

A Grand Ronde woman whose grandson's life was saved 20 years ago at Doernbecher Children's Hospital won the grand prize this Labor Day at the Kiwanis Doernbecher Children's Cancer Program's 12th Annual Classic Mustang Raffle. Rose Tonihka won a 1968 red and white Mustang on Sept. 2. She purchased the winning ticket at the Kiwanis Doernbecher booth at the Oregon State Fair at the end of August.

"I'm thrilled that Rose, someone who has a personal history with Doernbecher, is our big winner this year," said Shirley Clemens, member of the Kiwanis Doernbecher Children's Cancer Program board. "It makes her winning the Mustang truly significant."

Twenty years ago Tonihka's grandson was born premature, weighing only 1 pound, 6 ounces, and spent his first five months at Doernbecher. She credits Doernbecher with saving his life.

Kiwanis clubs throughout Oregon sold Mustang raffle tickets during the past six months to raise money for the Kiwanis Doernbecher Children's Cancer Program at Doernbecher Children's Hospital. This year members sold more than 32,000 tickets and raised $65,000 to benefit young cancer patients at Doernbecher.

Additional prizes included personalized bricks, to be placed in the hospital's courtyard, which were awarded to Tamara Kendall of Keizer; Steve Cox of Gresham; Martha Lezama of Woodburn.; Kerri Taylor of Beaverton; and Peg Ledman of Nashville, Tenn.

Since 1986 Kiwanians throughout North America have supported children's hospitals as national sponsors of the Children's Miracle Network Telethon. Clubs in Oregon and southwest Washington have been leaders in this effort, contributing more than $725,000 to Doernbecher Children's Hospital -- an achievement unmatched by Kiwanians anywhere else in the United States. The Kiwanis Club of Portland, chartered in 1918, was the first Kiwanis Club in Oregon and played a leadership role in establishing the bone marrow/stem cell transplant program at Doernbecher

Doernbecher Children's Hospital is one priority of the Oregon Opportunity, OHSU's public-private fund-raising campaign to support and expand OHSU programs and initiatives, and to accelerate the institution's biomedical research activities. For more information on Doernbecher and its programs, please contact Tamara Thompson, special programs manager for Doernbecher Children's Hospital Foundation, at 503 294-7101.

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OHSU Communications
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