You can probably guess where I am headed with this. Quoting Supertramp usually gives it away. So I'll get right to it: if you are looking for a worthy cause this holiday season, I encourage you to give AC Portland a good, hard look (just don't stare; that is sort of creepy).

I believe that sport has the power to change lives, and I don't feel the least bit corny admitting it. So when I see an organization that harnesses the power of sport to encourage students to lead healthy lives, succeed academically, and become engaged in their communities, I want to help. 

AC Portland runs programs at schools throughout the Portland area, including at Barnes Elementary, that keep kids active, healthy, and engaged in a positive and stable after-school activity. You can see the kids playing on the pitch HERE, and they will tell you that, "on the pitch anything is possible." They are right. But the cold, hard reality is that programs like this need funding.

Here's the neat thing: if you give a little bit to AC Portland through Give!Guide, you will get a little bit in return. Donations greater than $10 will receive:

• A FREE ¿Por Qué No? taco
• A FREE Salt & Straw 4 oz. scoop
• A 15% discount at Communion
• A FREE Palace Cakes cupcake
• $3 off any purchase at Music Millennium
• A FREE Stumptown Coffee Roasters coffee drink
• 40 Chinook Book mobile app discounts
• $30 ticket from Portland Center Stage

Oh, and you'll also get that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from knowing you had a positive impact on the life of a child. I donated this morning, and it feels great. And I am already looking forward to that taco.

Thanks, and have a great holiday season.

Mike Reese

President, Milltown United SC

Milltown is partnering with BSC-Portland to offer a brief soccer session for recreational players in January. The session is open to recreational players in grades K-8 and will consist of two academy-style training nights during the week and one Sunday pick-up game. This is a great chance for players to have fun and develop skills in a "come-when-you-want" structure.

Check out details at BSC-Portland's Recreational Soccer Academy page. 

Winter is a season of change at Milltown, as a few board members usually move on to pursue other interests. This year will be no different, as several of our current board members and officers will be moving on. They'll be replaced by younger, smarter, sharper-dressing incoming board members. Our president, in particular, has lost a few steps (and he wasn't that quick to begin with), and will be moving on. But not to worry. We will have a new and improved board up and running sometime in December, and they will bring new ideas, fresh energy, and hopefully a bit more athleticism to the board. Faces and personalities may change, but what won't change is Milltown's commitment to promoting skill development and enjoyment of the game in a fun, inclusive, and positive environment.