Jay Leno is surprise keynote speaker for Portland State fundraising gala

[BroadwayVik]

August 09, 2016 at 12:03 PM, updated August 09, 2016 at 12:43 PM
By Andrew Theen

Comedian Jay Leno will be the keynote speaker at Portland State University's fundraising gala Nov. 3, the [university] announced Tuesday.

Leno will headline the 17th annual Simon Benson Awards Dinner to be held at the Oregon Convention Center. Leno is former host of NBC's The Tonight Show and a best-selling author of two children's books.

Arianna Huffington was the keynote speaker in 2015. The Simon Benson Awards are named for the noted Portland philanthropist.

PSU pulled in more that $9 million from the gala since 1999.

Holy Shee-it. This is gonna be good.

Here's who will be honored in 2016:

The 2016 Simon Benson Award for Philanthropy will be presented to PSU alumni Keren Brown Wilson PhD '83 and Michael DeShane MA '71, PhD '77, pioneers in the development of services for the aging, who have devoted their lives to help people with limited means age with dignity. Brown Wilson and DeShane, who credit PSU as essential to their success, have been generous supporters of Portland State, reflecting their passionate commitment to higher education. Brown Wilson founded the Jessie F. Richardson Foundation and DeShane leads Concepts in Community Living.

The 2016 Simon Benson Award for Alumni Achievement will be presented to Tom Fink '71. The first in his family to attend college, Fink credits his PSU education with enriching his life and opening the world to him and his family. President of Magnacorp Financial Group, Fink earned his bachelor of science in economics from PSU in 1971. Serving on boards at St. Mary's Academy, Janus Youth Programs and the PSU Foundation offers Fink the privilege of paying it forward with educational opportunities for many students. For more than thirty years, Fink and his wife, Marilyn, have been tireless supporters of all things PSU.

 

[BroadwayVik]

Almost time for Jay.

 

[BroadwayVik]

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KATU: Dunn emcees, Leno keynotes at annual Simon Benson Awards
Author: KATU News Staff
Posted: November 4, 2016 This year’s Simon Benson Awards dinner was emceed by KATU’s Steve Dunn and the keynote speaker was comedian Jay Leno.

http://www.pdx.edu/news/katu-dunn-emcees-leno-keynotes-annual-simon-benson-awards

The annual event was held Thursday night at the Oregon Convention Center. It raises money for Portland State University.

“It’s just fantastic to have 1,600 friends of the university come and really celebrate the achievements of our students and the importance of Portland State to this metropolitan area,” said PSU’s President Wim Wiewel.

Before the event Dunn asked Leno if he missed being on The Tonight Show during this election year.

“No, I mean I enjoyed it while I did it,” Leno said. “It was fun. It was different when I did it – Clinton was horny, Bush was dumb, and it was just easy. Now it’s kinda nasty. I’m kinda glad I’m sitting this one out.”

Since 1999 the Simon Benson Awards dinner has raised more than $9 million for PSU.

 

[BroadwayVik]

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PSU’s Simon Benson event raises more than $1 million for students
Author: Chris Broderick, University Communications
Posted: November 4, 2016 Portland State University’s signature fund-raising event, the Simon Benson Awards Dinner, drew more than 1,600 people to the Oregon Convention Center on Thursday and raised more than $1 million for scholarships and other student support.

PSU honored philanthropists Keren Brown Wilson and Michael DeShane and alumnus Tom Fink for their years of public service and scholarship support for PSU students. The annual event is organized by the PSU Foundation and has raised more than $9 million for PSU since it began in 1999 to honor the memory of Portland’s pioneering philanthropist and timber baron Simon Benson.

The evening included an announcement that the PSU Foundation has created a Presidential Scholars Program for Equal Access Scholarships, a permanent endowment to honor President Wim Wiewel’s long-time commitment to help students with financial need.

“Providing opportunities has been my No. 1 goal, and I’m grateful to the donors who are creating this fund,” said Wiewel, who will step down next summer after nine years leading Portland State. He plans to remain in Oregon, return as a part-time faculty member and continue his advocacy for PSU.

Two current scholarship students also spoke at the dinner, thanking attendees for their support that has enable them not only to be the first in their families to attend college but to thrive at PSU.

Alexandra Van, a senior sociology major, recounted how she grew up amid violence and chaos at home and struggled to graduate high school. A scholarship founded by Tom and Marilyn Fink enabled her to attend PSU, where she is immersed in the School of Social Work with plans to obtain a master’s degree so she can help young people overcome the kind of family and poverty hardships that she faced.

Jean-Luc Toku, a sophomore business major, immigrated to the United States at age 6 from West Africa with no knowledge of English. Today, thanks to a Roslyn Farrington Scholarship, he is studying finance and marketing and is an accomplished longer jumper on PSU’s track team.

Keren Wilson and her husband Michael DeShane, who both earned doctoral degrees at PSU, have devoted their lives to help people with limited means age with dignity through assisted living alternatives to nursing homes and other programs. They also have a legacy of funding scholarships and providing student support.

Tom Fink, who graduated with an economic degree at PSU as the first in his family to attend college, has also given back to PSU with scholarships and many years of active alumni leadership. Fink told the crowd that education not only transformed his life and the lives of his family members but needs to be society’s most cherished value in creating opportunities for future generations.

The evening, which was hosted by KATU-TV anchor Steve Dunn, ended with a comedy routine from former “Tonight” host Jay Leno, who made a point of equal-time riffs jabbing both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump with only a few days until the presidential election.

For more information on the PSU Foundation, visit http://www.psuf.org/.