In early April, the Oregon PTA held its annual Leadership Conference in Portland, Oregon. This year’s conference was unique because we launched our brand new Oregon PTA Service Awards. These awards were designed to honor and recognize individuals and groups that support Oregon PTA's vision of "making every child's potential a reality" and mission of advocacy and unity to improve the lives of Oregon’s children in and out of school. Oregon PTA was honored and proud to bestow several awards to Southern Oregon residents.

Oregon Champion for Children award is given to individuals that dedicate themselves to advocating and serving the children in Oregon in magnanimous ways. Mona Pinon encompasses the spirit of this award. Mona’s son became paralyzed as a result of a cancerous tumor when he was just 4 months old. When she was enrolling him for kindergarten it struck her that the playground was not accessible for him and children like him. Instead of complaining or feeling defeated, she took it upon herself to start the “Blue Slide Project” With the support of the Parkside Elementary PTA she has led a team that has worked tirelessly to raise over $144, 000. The Blue Slide Project gained recognition in the news when Mona and 6 other PTA members walked 35 miles to the closest available handicapped accessible playground raising over $12, 000 . She has personally started a weight loss challenge to raise money and in the process lost 123lbs. From fundraising to shoveling pea gravel out of the playground, Mona works relentlessly for this project. Her spirit has inspired many and many children will benefit from the new playground that will make it possible for “All children to play together”.