PORTLAND, ORE — The 2016 Arts Breakfast of Champions is coming up fast! More than 400 community leaders will celebrate some of the region’s most powerful partnerships between arts and business on Wednesday, February 24 from 7:30-9:00 a.m. at the Portland Art Museum. Tickets are on sale now at http://bit.ly/1RUiQUV.

The Arts Breakfast of Champions was established in 1995 by Northwest Business for Culture and the Arts (NWBCA) as an annual celebration of corporate philanthropy. RACC has established a new Business Committee for the Arts (BCA) that is continuing the breakfast event to recognize top corporate donors to the arts, and to provide motivating examples of how businesses are using the arts to inspire employees, stimulate innovation and foster creative collaboration.

This year’s honorees include:

• Top corporate donors to the arts, including Portland General Electric, US Bank, Umpqua Bank, Wells Fargo, Vulcan Inc., The Standard, The Boeing Company and KeyBank.
   
• The John C. Hampton Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts: Greg Ness, CEO, The Standard
   
• Inspirational creative partnership: Umpqua Bank and Portland Center Stage
   
• Small business champion: Bill Dickey, Owner, Morel Ink
   
• Work for Art champions: Portland General Electric, Burgerville and the Oregon Cultural Trust

In addition, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici from Oregon’s 1st Congressional District will receive special recognition for her work on arts education. As part of congressional committee to reform public education in late 2015, Representative Bonamici won unanimous approval for her amendment to integrate the arts into science, technology, engineering and math education. Her “STEM to STEAM” provision was included in the Every Student Succeeds Act, which President Obama signed into law on December 10, effectively restoring arts education for millions of students and our nation’s future workforce.

The 2016 Arts Breakfast of Champions is presented by The Regional Arts & Culture Council and sponsored byPortland General Electric. Supporting sponsors include Columbia Bank, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, The Standard, US Bank and Vibrant Table.

Tickets for the Arts Breakfast of Champions are $125 each, or $75 for employees of local nonprofit arts organizations. Tables and sponsorships are available at http://bit.ly/1RUiQUV.