Norton and Barbara Peck Family Foundation Donation
By Abby Braithwaite
Sometimes the greatest gifts we receive are the least expected. As a small, non-profit organization, the NWDSA is always on the lookout for new and unique sources of funding. When Advisory Board member and nightclub owner Sherry Kucera of Tony Starlight’s Supperclub and Lounge offered to put together a benefit last summer, we were excited and grateful. When she and her husband Brett mentioned a James Bond theme, we knew we were in for a rollicking good time. What took us by surprise was the amount of support that Brett and Sherry were able to garner from their community of musicians, vendors and customers. Musicians donated their time and talents, vendors donated to the raffle, and customers came to the event, donated raffle prizes and silent auction items, and more.
While the evening on a whole was fantastic, one gift deserves special recognition. Sue Robertson and Don Peck are regular guests at the club, and they sent Sherry a note saying they were unable to make it to the NWDSA benefit, but would like to learn more about our organization. Their family’s charitable foundation, the Norton and Barbara Peck Family Foundation, would be holding a meeting in August, and wanted to consider our group as a possible recipient of a gift. We were touched to be considered by virtual strangers, and worked to get a packet together about our work, mentioning in particular that we are hoping to put out a new edition of our New Parent Guide soon.
A couple months later, we received notice through Sherry that we had been chosen as a recipient, and we agreed to meet the donors at Tony Starlight’s to receive the check and pay our thanks. After a night of good music and a tasty meal, we met with Sue and Don and they handed us a check from their foundation for $5,000 — enough to get us well on our way to a third edition of the New Parent Guide. We had our cameras with us, but unfortunately none of the pictures we took that night came out. But suffice it to say we were all very touched by the occasion, and glad to have the opportunity to meet one another.
I had a chance to talk with Don and Sue for a bit, and I asked them what their connection was to our community, other than a shared appreciation for Tony Starlight’s. It turns out they have a close family friend who had a son with Down syndrome, and they asked that the gift be noted as being in memory of Darren Mallett of Beaverton, who sadly passed away recently at the age of 48. Sue said Darren was the first person she had ever met who had Down syndrome, and she enjoyed many years of friendship and camaraderie, going on adventures on the boat owned by Darren’s parents, Don and Anona Mallet of Beaverton. We are sorry for the Malletts’ loss, and are honored to be the recipients of such a moving memorial. Thanks to the legacy of Darren, we can soon share our New Parent Guide with many new parents in the coming years.
