23 Nisan National Sovereignty & Children's Day
We got together to celebrate 23 Nisan National Sovereignty & Children's Day. We got a nice break from the weather, and we all enjoyed our time together. We had over 250 participants, almost half of them kids. Great turnout! The Tyson Center had everything we needed and all in perfect condition. We could not have wished for a better venue.
The highlight of the day was a 23 Nisan poem recited in Turkish by our beloved Arven Ozturk and to have her non-Turkish friend Andi Dawn say “YASASIN 23 Nisan, Yasasin ATATURK”! Both are 9 years old.
It was lovely to see members that have not joined ORTA events in a long time. It was also great to see so many new faces, especially non-Turkish. We heard from members that they viewed this occasion as a chance to showcase their Turkish identity to friends from various backgrounds. ORTA’s mission is to “Enrich the lives of the Turkish-American community,” and this event was a perfect example of one way we do this: we bring people together to strengthen the community, build bonds and foster relationships. As our President says, “together, we are better.”
The wonderful engagement with kids that Şule Gürbüz brought with her magic show and balloon artistry, plus the delicious food from Shiki Shiki Baba, made it another memorable day. The cherry on top was the surprise dinosaur visit, and this time our Jurassic guest signed up as a member. Welcome ORTA-Saurus!
Our kids showed their artistic side with the beautiful jewelry they designed for the silent auction. We were able to raise $270 that will be used to fund future ORTA Kids Club activities. Another example of great collaboration between the Kids Club, parents, kids, and everyone at ORTA.
If kid’s art was not enough, we also had the beautiful work from Oya&Idil Jewelry, Didem A.Thomas and Yusuf Surucu who donated a portion of their proceeds to ORTA and CATE project. We showcase our members while supporting the community.
As usual, we had tremendous help from our volunteers. THANK YOU: Ali Baran Baykal, Ayse Bakircioglu, Bahadir Bebek, Emre Ozgurler, Hamra Bakircioglu, Ilayda Selvi, Ilke Martin, Sena Cansiz, Yonca Ozgurler! Especial shout out to;
Sebnem Ozturk for driving a successful and fun auction.
Arven Ozturk & Andi Dawn for the beautiful poem.
Hakan Kutgun. for his fantastic pictures and photo booth magic.
Hakan Bakircioglu. for creating the best music atmosphere.
Mesut Ali Ergin, for his sound magic and tech equipment
Check out the picture gallery HERE
The EC continues to work long hours, gaining momentum. Stay tuned for more events and more opportunities to get involved. If you are not a member and want to join us, click here. If you want to get involved, sign up here. Any questions, send us a note to contact@ortapdx.org