Being Positive

For the sixth year now, Daniel and Talya Pite will celebrate the life of their daughter, Hannah, by hosting Bpositiv, one of Bend's biggest art shows of the season.

The first Bpositiv took place in January of 2005 and served as a birthday party for Hannah, who would pass away only months later from leukemia. Since then, the Pites have continued the annual art show to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, always choosing the weekend closest to Hannah's birthday - and this year it falls right on the dot, January 30.

"Bpositiv is not meant to be a birthday party, it's still about the celebration of our community, but for friends and family it will always be a bit of a birthday party in our hearts," says Daniel Pite, who incidentally just celebrated his own birthday on Tuesday.

The event brings in pieces from around the region and beyond, all of which is donated by artists who want to help out. This sprit of giving permeates the entire event as well with nearly every aspect of the night donated, including the wine from Columbia Distributing and the venue and staff at McMenamins Old St. Francis School.

"At this point the show has been going on for six years, so there's people who say, 'Don't even worry, I'll come through next year.' The creative giving spirit of our community really shines through," says Daniel.

This year's show also signals the kick off of the Bpositiv Foundation, the non-profit organization the Pite family started this month to raise money and awareness for the fight against childhood cancer. While they have suffered a tragedy most parents don't want to even imagine, the Pites have turned their loss into a rallying cry and say they feel blessed by the way the community has responded.

"People seem to understand that we're trying to turn the difficult thing our family faced into something positive," says Daniel, "The only way I can make sense of the loss of my daughter is to make it a little better for the next family that has to go through this."

Bpositiv: A Special Evening of Art, Wine & Music

5pm-11pm, Saturday, January 30. McMenamins Old St. Francis School.
700 NW Bond St. Free admission, all ages.
Visit www.bpositiv.org for more info or to make a donation.