Medical Foundation of Marion and Polk Counties

Tickets on sale to hear Chris Gardner at Elsinore April 5th.

Chris Gardner

(SALEM, Ore.) - The Medical Foundation of Marion and Polk Counties is starting to have a reputation for bringing the big names to Salem. While raising funds to support MedAssist, one of its most important programs, the Foundation will continue in that tradition on Saturday, April 5th at the Elsinore, with Christopher Gardner, author and associate producer of The Pursuit of Happyness. His life was portrayed in the movie by movie mega-star Wil Smith.

The event will be a fundraiser for the MedAssist Program, which provides life saving prescription medications to qualifying residents of Marion and Polk Counties. The program has served more than 2,200 people so far, who fall close to 150% of the Federal poverty line and cannot get these necessary prescriptions any other way.

MedAssist provides an average of 7,500 prescriptions per month to qualified clients with an average retail value of these prescriptions is $101.

A self-made success story, Mr. Gardner gives back to the communities where he conducts business because he has never forgotten his humble beginnings or the odds he has surmounted. Christopher Gardner not only overcame a lack of college and business school degrees, but also homelessness.

Always hard working and tenacious, in the early 1980’s Gardner became homeless in San Francisco and the sole guardian of his toddler son. Unwilling to give up Chris Jr. or his dream of financial independence, Gardner started at the very bottom of the financial industry ladder and pulled his way up.

The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardner’s autobiography, was published in May 2006 (Amistad/Harper Collins). The Pursuit of Happyness was also made into a critically-acclaimed film starring Will Smith, which was released in December 2006.

Chris Gardner’s remarkable story of struggle, faith, entrepreneurialism, and fatherly devotion and his inspiring message on how to break the cycles that hold you back, has catapulted him beyond the notoriety he has found on Wall Street. Gardner has been featured on the Evening News with Dan Rather, 20/20, The View, CNN, and CNBC as well as being the subject of profiles in USA Today, The Associated Press, Fortune, Jet and numerous other local and national newspapers and magazines.

Through sponsorships and ticket sales to the event, the Foundation hopes to raise enough money to fund the MedAssist program for the coming fiscal year.

Ticket prices will range from $20-$65 can be purchased at the Elsinore Theatre Box Office, by phone with a credit card by calling 1-800-992-TIXX, online at ticketswest.com, and all TicketsWest locations. To ensure seat availability, please purchase tickets in advance. Consult the Elsinore seating chart online at elsinoretheatre.com or call the Theatre at 503-375-3574 for more information. For more information about the event or MedAssist, visit mpmedsociety.org.