SHE FLIES Initiative Taking Flight at 2023 Pdx Red Gala — Sport Oregon Voices

Flagship Sport Oregon Foundation initiative once again the beneficiary of the Pdx Red Gala, which takes place Saturday, April 22

As a developing program first introduced roughly two years ago, the Sport Oregon Foundation SHE FLIES initiative already is making an impact. This is due, in large part, to an ever-growing network of supporting organizations that have made the impact of SHE FLIES an immediate success.

This year, Sport Oregon has teamed up once again with the Pdx Red Gala Foundation to raise money for SHE FLIES. Formed in 2015 to support local non-profit causes, the Pdx Red Gala Foundation will – for a second consecutive year – donate all proceeds from its annual gala to support the mission of SHE FLIES. The event takes place this Saturday at the iconic Bodecker Foundation in Northwest Portland, and will feature a guest DJ performance as well as a live skate exhibition by members of Skate Like a Girl.

At its core, SHE FLIES is inspired by a fundamental belief that, through sports, people learn to soar as confident individuals, team players and strong leaders. Further, its mission is to connect girls and women across Oregon to sports, and to create inclusive opportunities through its programs, partnerships and networks.

Since its launch, the SHE FLIES mission has resonated with many supporting groups. The initiative could not accomplish its current level of impact without the involvement and support of many organizations and individuals that champion SHE FLIES.

The Red Gala founder, Anthony Kuchulis, is one such supporter. Founded in 2015, Pdx Red Gala was created to provide local charities with a “stage and loudspeaker” to raise funds and increase awareness of critical issues. Vanessa Triplett Kuchulis, Anthony’s wife and Red Gala board member, agrees that SHE FLIES provides a much-needed resource for Oregon youth.

Growing up, Triplett Kuchulis loved playing soccer. The sport became her life, as she played through the varsity level and competed at international soccer tournaments. But her involvement was cut short when she moved to the UK and learned that her school didn’t offer soccer for girls because it was considered a “boys sport.”

Triplett Kuchulis describes how her emotional and physical wellbeing plummeted without access to sports. Ultimately, she says, the experience made her appreciate how being on a team can play such a critical role in fostering self-confidence, a sense of purpose and a feeling of belonging – all of which are especially significant during those formative teenage years.

“I support SHE FLIES because its mission speaks to me and my own experience,” she said. “Giving kids access and encouragement to play sports regardless of ability, gender, race, economic status and age is vital for sparking their engagement and keeping kids motivated. I admire SHE FLIES for making the concept of inclusion a cornerstone of their ideology and practice. I am convinced that children that have access to sports will continue reaping the benefits well into adulthood and beyond.”

These sentiments are echoed by Ben Parish, the president of the Red Gala and Sport Oregon board member. Parish shares that the 2023 Red Gala is shaping up to be another milestone event. In each of his roles, Parish has been a tireless advocate for SHE FLIES, and has helped build a network of support for the Sport Oregon initiative. Through his work with Sport Oregon and Pdx Red Gala, he has seen first-hand how support for SHE FLIES has taken off.

“The awareness has just been amazing,” Parish said. “The SHE FLIES message really resonates with a lot of people and organizations, and we’re pleased to see this year’s Red Gala event come full circle to help benefit this important Sport Oregon initiative.”

The funds raised through the Red Gala directly benefit SHE FLIES. A key component of SHE FLIES is its ability to award grants to deserving, like-minded organizations already doing great work in the community and whose work aligns with the SHE FLIES mission and corresponding focus areas.

Last year, SHE FLIES awarded grants to six deserving organizations through the initiative’s first Community Grant cycle, including Skate Like a Girl, whose mission is to create an inclusive community by promoting confidence, leadership and social justice through skateboarding. The grant provided to Skate Like a Girl helped the organization to supplement the salary of its program and partnership vista, Bria Rice-Gomez, to live more closely to a living wage.

“It’s just really amazing that there are grants opportunities like this,” said Rice-Gomez.

In her position, Rice-Gomez serves as a program manager for all of the organization’s in-person events. She is a main point of contact who makes sure volunteers and participants have all the tools they need and to make sure everyone has a great time and feels welcome in the spaces that Skate Like a Girl creates.

Originally from Southern California, Rice-Gomez started skateboarding around the age of 10 and became more active in the skating scene just prior to moving to Portland in 2020. She says, especially as a Black and Hispanic woman, that being exposed to opportunities that combine her passions like her role with Skate Like a Girl has proved to be extremely rewarding. 

“I didn’t know that jobs like this even existed,” Rice-Gomez said. “It’s exciting to come into this, and realize you can make a career out of sport if you get into the right groups of people and continue to show up for your community.”

She says she often kind of pinches herself to make sure this dream job is real.

“Some days, I’m like, ‘this is my job?’”

Further aligning with the SHE FLIES mission of keeping girls in the game and developing more female mentors, coaches and administrators, Rice-Gomez also is the program lead for her organization’s developing youth employment skateboarding program. She says the goal of this program is to serve Skate Like a Girl’s 13-18 year-old participants, who basically “age out” of the summer camps offered by the organization. The aim is to encourage and assist these teenage participants to stay involved as volunteers for these camps, and to establish a path for them to stay active and involved as they become older.

If you’ve never been to the Pdx Red Gala, imagine an atmosphere where black (i.e. red) tie meets skateboarding exhibition, where cocktail party meets sports mansion. It’s an event that makes supporting the community an epic party.

For her part, Rice-Gomez says the Skate Like a Girl participants are eager and excited once again to perform at this year’s Red Gala, which recently opened up a limited number of extra tickets. She says the event demonstrates and emphasizes the importance of being involved and appreciates the gala’s important fundraising function.

From the beginning, SHE FLIES’ goal was to build a community that fosters safe spaces where all girls and women can have equitable opportunities and feel empowered to use sports to take flight and realize the many benefits that participation provides. Two years later, it’s exciting to see the initiative continue to carry out that goal. 

How to Get Involved
The Pdx Red Gala Foundation has three ways to get involved with this year’s fundraising efforts; (1) a silent auction; (2) direct giving; (3) by helping to spread the word. For more information on the Pdx Red Gala, visit www.redgalapdx.com. 

For More Information on SHE FLIES
To learn more about SHE FLIES, its grants program and overall mission to connect girls and women across Oregon to sports, visit www.sheflies.org.