Condon gala aids Chase foundation

Addressing the crowd at his inaugural ball, Spokane Mayor David Condon said he will strive to be like the popular mayor who led the city when he was a boy, Jim Chase.

More than 400 people attended Condon’s $75-a-plate “Our Town Gala” on Saturday night at the Lincoln Center in north Spokane. Proceeds will go to the Chase Youth Foundation, the financial arm of the youth commission that Chase fought to create when he was mayor in the 1980s.

Condon praised Chase for his gentle nature and the stability he brought to the city. He said the event, which was attended by many high-profile political, business and other leaders,  raised more than $20,000 for the foundation.

Last year, former Mayor Mary Verner opted to eliminate the city’s Youth Department, which oversaw the Chase Youth Commission. Condon supported the decision because of the city’s financial problems. But Saturday, he vowed that the city would maintain a strong relationship with the commission even if taxpayer funding is much smaller.

“I am unwilling to let budget pressures push aside” the commission, he said.

Three Chase youth commissioners addressed the crowd after a buffet-style dinner that included chicken and salmon.