A magical night

By STARLA POINTER

Of the News-Register

"Shazaam!" shouted the crowd at the magic-themed McMinnville Mayor's Ball Saturday night. And more than $125,000 appeared for the Kids on the Block after-school enrichment program.

As if by magic, that total will likely grow over the next few days, as proceeds are tallied from a raffle and silent auction, and additional donations trickle in.

"Thank you for all your support for Kids on the Block, a safe, enriching program that has played an important role for our kids," said Bob Emrick, president of the KOB board.

Emrick joined McMinnville Mayor Rick Olson and First Lady Candy Olson on stage mid-way through the fundraiser to celebrate the continuing success of both KOB and the ball.

The after-school program was launched in 1989 as a joint effort of the city, school district and community.

The ball was initiated in 1990 by then-Mayor Ed Gormley and his wife, Candy, to provide critically needed additional funding. It has raised more than $1.6 million for KOB in the ensuing years, $176,000 of it in the record year of 2008.

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Hundreds of people, most dressed to the nines, came to this year's ball to socialize, bid on silent auction items, dine on delicacies prepared by Spirit Mountain Casino chefs and dance to tunes performed by a pair of bands.

The McMinnville Community Center was decorated for a magic show. It featured posters of famous magicians, red velvet curtains, candelabra, decks of cards, wands and top hats, including a giant version from which a huge hare repeatedly emerged.

Magicians young and old entertained throughout the evening. Emcee Russ Rainwater joined them, spending the first half of the ball trapped in a straitjacket as he mimicked one of Houdini's famous escape stunts.

"Choose a card," said 9-year-old Jackson Mowry, fanning a deck as a couple arrived at the front entrance. The woman took a card, looked at it, then returned it to the deck. With just one year of experience, the young magician was quickly able to identify the card.

John Edsall of Salem was one of several mentors who accompanied the young magicians. He has been doing magic a bit longer than Jackson, but gets just as much pleasure from hearing people ooh and ahh over his tricks.

"People always love magic," Edsall said. "It tickles their child."

Indeed, Mayor's Ball guests said they enjoyed watching the magic tricks, including those staged by Mark Siegel, who organized the entertainment. Siegel performed both for small groups and for the entire gathering.

Some of the guests even did tricks of their own. Stephen Teal, for instance, impressed those around him by pretending to magically move his fingers from one hand to the other.

Teal and his wife, Anne, attend the Mayor's Ball each year because they support the cause and enjoy the event.

"It's a wonderful community gathering," he said. "We should do this every week!"

Guests got into the spirit of the theme by dressing in a magical way. Many made formal wear magically appear from the depths of their closets. Others came in costume.

Shelby Wilcox and Ginger Emrick looked ready to take the stage as magicians' assistants in their sparkly, shiny outfits and hats.

Wilcox, who volunteers at the ball as coordinator of the wine auction, made her hat just for the occasion. She loves making hats from recycled materials.

For this one, she used copper wire, tulle and leather to turn a plain wool hat into something magical. She topped it off with a pair of doves, as if a magician had just made them appear.

Checking out the costumes and formal attire was an enjoyable part of the ball for Julie McConnell and Linda Freeborn, volunteers who were attending the event for the first time.

"It's fun to see people get so dolled up," Freeborn said. "Very cool."

She and McConnell, who work together at Western Title & Escrow, were among volunteers recruited by event director Pam Watts. They were glad to say yes, because the ball raises money for a good cause.

McConnell said she knows about KOB first-hand. Her teenage daughters took part in the after-school program when they were in elementary school.

"It was awesome," she said. "I didn't have to worry. I knew they were safe."

Kathy Cabe, one of the school board members who attended the ball, said Kids on the Block is important both because it provides a safe place for children after school and because it affords them academic help and enrichment activities.

Some children wouldn't have as wide a variety of activities without it, said Cabe, who also serves on the committee that helps plan the ball.

"I wish we could expand to before school, as well," she said.

Mayor Olson also praised Kids on the Block, calling it an amazing program that helps children grow into better citizens. No wonder KOB has received honors such as being named best school-community partnership in the state, he said.

In addition to announcing the fundraising total for the event, Olson and his wife greeted guests as they arrived.

"We're having a fabulous time," said Olson, who went by "The Great Ricardo" for the night. "There are so many great people in this town.

"They give graciously of their time and support this wonderful cause, even in financially hard times. There's something magical about McMinnville."

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