EOU Foundation donors treated to "mahalo" luau

Contact: Laura Hancock | University Advancement | lhancock@eou.edu

Lyle Schwarz
President, EOU
Foundation

Wednesday, May 24, 2006
LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon University Foundation presented a special "thank you," Hawaiian style, to donors and friends at the President's Gala Mahalo Luau Saturday, May 20. Guests enjoyed entertainment provided by the EOU Navigator's Club, cocktails and a dinner menu featuring authentic island fare. "Mahalo" means thank you in Hawaiian.

Guests included EOU President's Club members who make unrestricted gifts to the Foundation in the amount of $1,000 or more per year. Also recognized at the gala were members of the EOU Heritage Society and Progress Circle, groups of donors who give to scholarships and support programs at EOU. Ten new members were welcomed into the President's Club at the event.

                                             Photos by Laura Hancock/University Advancement
Members of the EOU Navigators Club performing traditional hula and war dances for guests at the luau themed President's Gala.

Students from the Navigator's Club performed several traditional dances from the Pacific Islands. Since the 1960s, EOU has had a strong relationship with the Pacific Islands and the many students who attend EOU make a significant contribution to the international culture and heritage on campus. Students performed the graceful hula, followed by a traditional war dance, and a Chamorro Candle Dance.

A buffet style dinner contributed to the festive
and relaxed atmosphere of the luau.

EOU President Khosrow Fatemi expressed his appreciation to those who have shown their support for the University, helping to ensure that the Foundation can continue to support the students, faculty and staff at EOU.

A coconut grinding contest tested the skills of two volunteers from the audience, Mike Daugherty and Janet-Hume Schwarz. After watching a demonstration, the volunteers were asked to each crack open a coconut and then hand it over to a student to quickly grind the meat out from the shell using a traditional tool.

A student races to grind the meat from a coconut as
Janet Hume-Schwarz cheers him on.

The Chamorro Candle Dance held a special significance as Lyle Schwarz, EOU Foundation president, highlighted the new "Ignite the Future" fund raising campaign. A goal of $2 million has been set, making "Ignite the Future" the most ambitious campaign ever launched by the Foundation.

"The dancers carry candles symbolizing the stars, which have guided ocean navigators for centuries," Schwarz said. "Tonight, they are lighting our way into the future while we celebrate our past."