Clatsop Community College
1653 Jerome, Astoria OR 97103
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Contact: Lenore Morrisson (503) 338-2473

High School Senior Ann Branson Donates $1,500 to The Women’s Resource Center

Seaside High School senior Ann Branson presented a check for $1,500 to the Women’s Resource Center today. Ann partnered with Clatsop Community College’s Arts & Ideas to produce and act in three performances of The Vagina Monologues for her senior Pacifica Project.

Ann chose to put on the performances of the Vagina Monologues because she believes it is important to raise awareness of women’s issues in the community.

“I knew I wanted to do something Women’s Studies related, and something to do with theater,” she said “I just hope people will be more aware of violence, towards women in the world. I hope to create an openness in the community towards women’s issues.”

Ann chose to donate the proceeds from the event to the Women’s Resource Center because the local organization directly addresses issues of assault and abuse within the community.

“We have a wonderful recovery group for sexual abuse and domestic violence—we’ve all come together to know we’re not alone in this world, having something like this come along,” said Pat Burness, director of the Women’s Resource Center, who gratefully received the donation from Ann. “The money goes right back to the women and their healing.”

The Clatsop County Women’s Resource Center is an advocacy-based non-profit organization, serving victims of domestic and sexual violence. The center provides many services, including the Domestic and Sexual Assault Response Team, emergency shelter and transportation, support groups, child advocacy and much more.

All seniors who attend Seaside High School must complete a Pacifica Project in order to graduate. A Pacifica Project is a community service project, which must be volunteer work that is done to benefit the community. The hope is that the student will be introduced to volunteer work in a positive way, and will continue to practice this type of work in their future.
Ten percent of the proceeds from the Vagina Monologues went to V-day’s 2007 campaign of helping women in conflict zones. V-day is an organization because of Eve Ensler’s play, The Vagina Monologues. Another portion of the proceeds will go to support the Arts and Ideas program at Clatsop Community College.

ATTACHED IMAGE: Seaside High School senior Ann Branson, standing right, presented a check for $1,500 today to Pat Burness, standing left, of the Clatsop County Women’s Resource Center.