Instead of running, a group of hungry diners will be doing their part in the fight against breast cancer by sitting down at a table for a lovely meal in North Portland.

It’s a fundraiser at the Lincoln Restaurant.  Owner and Maitre D Chris Welch spoke with GNPDX about the effort.  He says a very close friend runs in the Race for the Cure every year and is battling cancer herself.  Rather than make their standard, personal donation, Welch and crew decided to let their customers get in on the act by donating 10% of the take tonight to the race.

He won’t guess how much they’re going to raise but he says they have fingers crossed that it tops the $500 mark.  Reservations are available.  For more info check out their website.

When Wilma McFall was a little girl, she was always riding a horse.  You could say she grew up on a horse.  But at 94-years-old, saddling up isn’t nearly as easy as it used to be.

Enter the Chehalem Springs Assisted Living facility.  That’s where McFall lives and later today, she’ll be saddling up again thanks to the Ageless Dreamers program.

It works like Make A Wish but for adults.  The wishes tend to be about reliving memories from their past like sledding down Mount Hood or going fishing.

There are lots of ways to get involved.  Click here for more info.

There’s a cool new performing company forming right now in Vancouver.  They offer free instruction in all things musical theatre at NO  COST to families (plus it’s only a two-hour, twice a week commitment so kids can do other things like soccer).

For more info check out the Metropolitan Performing Arts page.

Massage Envy stores across the US are donating part of their proceeds to fight Breast Cancer next week.  $10 per hour appointment on Tuesday the 15th which will total between $250 and 500,00.

All the money spent at local stores will STAY at Portland facilities.  Appts are booking fast so call now to sign up.

There will be a lot of red around the Rose Quarter September 13th and it has NOTHING to do with the Trail Blazers.  It’s the annual STEP OUT walk to fight diabetes.  So far organizers have about 1,000 people signed up and expect to raise $200K at the event.  Walks are planned all over the country.

For more info visit the American Diabetes Association here.

Here at the GNPDX Fitness Desk (which occasionally doubles as the GNPDX Science Desk, the GNPDX Sports Desk, the GNPDX Food and Wine Desk, the GNPDX Editorial Desk and the GNPDX Lunch Table), we love stories of people finding unique ways to get in shape (mainly because it motivates us to drop the doughnuts and sweat a little bit).
And, as a policy, we at GNPDX in general love stories of people pursuing their dreams and, at the same time, helping others.
That’s why we tip our collective Good News Caps to Daniel Iverson.
At one point, Iverson was spending 16 hour days, training clients one-on-one at a corporate chain. It’s work he loved and still misses, but he felt as though he was limited in exactly how big of a difference he could make. Even if he booked every hour of his day, that’s only 16 people. He wanted bigger, better and more helpful.
So, after hearing about the Adventure Boot Camp concept, he decided to give it a shot. Starting with about 10 members, his practice has exploded to over 100 clients training under his watchful eye every day.
He credits the explosive success with the special format. Rather than training by yourself in a gym with weights and treadmills, he takes small groups out into nature where they work with obstacle courses, park benches and their own body weight to get incredible results.
Add to it a friendly, supportive atmosphere from your fellow Boot Campmates and it’s a recipe for pure success.
While business is booming, Iverson does have spots available and can accomodate nearly any age and fitness level. For more info, check out his website, PortlandBootCamp.COM (sorry, having issues with the software this morning and can’t make the hyperlink).

As 2008 drew to a close, Ken Lynch had to make some changes.  Out of work and living in Hoboken, New Jersey, he decided to return to his native Portland, spend some time with his family and contemplate his next career move.

As he drove across the US in a U-Haul, he made two decisions: he wanted to learn to play the guitar and he wanted to learn Spanish.  But it was easier said than done.  Finding a class that fit his needs proved prohibitive.  So seizing the entrepreneurial spirit, he decided to start his own class.

And that is how MindGlo got started.  Now offering dozens of classes in myriad areas, MindGlo is Portland’s new adult learning center.  Instruction is held in informal settings like local coffee houses and Whole Foods markets. 

Lynch says they are steadily expanding their course catalog and new classes start all the time.  For more info check out their website.

For about fifty years, Bob Friedler could hear everything clear as a bell.  Then, things started to fade.  He would have to stare at someone if they were speaking because if they were off to the side, he couldn’t pick up their words.  In public, he’d miss things going on around him.  He even started reading lips.

“Finally, my wife said, you’re DEAF!  You’re going to the audiologist,” says Friedler.

At The Oregon Clinic, doctor’s set Friedler up with a top-of-the-line, digital hearing aid.  Invisible unless you stare directly into his ear canal.  And man is it effective.

“It was a little disconcerting at first.  I was hearing things I hadn’t heard in years and my brain had to get used to it.”

If you’re concerned about your own hearing, or the hearing of a loved one, you’ll want to visit the Oregon Clinic ( 9155 SW Barnes Rd, Portland, Oregon 97225 ) free open house this week.  It’s a 9-5 event through the 28th of August but evening appointments are available by request.  Call 503-935-8100 for more info.

This weekend, you can protect your kids as you do your back to school shopping.  Clackamas Town Center is hosting a safety fair on Saturday which will include Secure Child.

Spear Headed  Johnny Walker with North Star Financial, Secure Child provides a free kit to each parent including:

A photo of your child (which can be age-adjusted once you get a second photo taken)

Hair sample

Finger Prints

Other stats about the child

And it’s all free.

Thousands of families have taken advantage of the free service so stop by the Town Center Saturday.

After 25 years, the Children’s Gym has decided it’s time to celebrate.

The gymnastics academy in the Hollywood District is hosting a giant block party this weekend as a thank you to all the families who have helped the facility succeed.

It started as a few lessons a week given by Traci Vogel which quickly grew into a self-sustaining learning center, currently at max capacity student-wise (700 kids).  Vogel says they’re eyeing bigger and better things in the near future, including a massive expansion to include dance, martial arts and other activities.

For more info on the party which is open to all, go here.