Fun and funds raised for Amber

Ever been to a medical fundraiser with somber speeches and a lot of sad faces? Amber Alvarez Lara's recent fundraiser at Sisters Elementary School was exactly the opposite. Lively Mexican music filled the air while kids in bright costumes took to the stage. Dozens of families chatted and mingled, eating delicious food and waiting to see who might win the raffle.

Patrons donated $10 per plate to help offset medical, travel, and other costs associated with Amber's two spinal surgeries in Portland this spring. Friends of the family served up quesadillas, tacos, tostadas, and generous bowls of pozole, a hearty soup of pork and hominy. A poster drawn by Amber's friends hung near the door, signed with encouraging words like "Hope you feel better. We love you Amber!" and describing the second-grader as "loving fun and full of joy."

Amber is a Sisters Elementary School student who was born prematurely with spina bifida, a severe condition in which a baby's spinal cord develops abnormally. She can often be seen zooming around the SES campus in her motorized wheelchair, greeting people with a friendly wave.

After finishing their postres, attendees watched Shalom Rebolledo and Zenas Ortega dance the "Santa Rita," a dance from Chihuahua. Then the kids headed outside to play soccer and scale the playground equipment while adults gathered up the evening's festive decorations. Readers can find out more about fundraising opportunities and Amber's surgery recovery in forthcoming issues of The Nugget.