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Diversity group gets donation A group of Rogue Valley religious and civic leaders met Wednesday to make a statement, and a donation, against violence and bigotry. Meeting at the Medford Congregational United Church of Christ, the Rev. Paul Robinson donated $866.25 on behalf of the Rogue Valley Committee on Tolerance to the Multicultural Association of Southern Oregon. The donation came from excess proceeds for a full-page ad in the Sunday Mail Tribune, sponsored by the Committee on Tolerance in the wake of a rash of hate crimes around the country. More than 350 people signed the ad, as did several organizations. "Establishing who we are as a community, made up of an ever-widening circle of ethnic, religions and lifestyle diversity, requires constant vigilance to keep inclusivity a goal," Robinson said. Don Senter, president of the nonprofit Multicultural Association, said the donation would be used to help underwrite events such as the 3rd annual Kids Camp and a fair this Saturday at Alba Park in downtown Medford. "As the ad stated, bigotry and hatred have no place in our community," he said. Among those who spoke: Lindsey Berryman, mayor of Medford; the Rev. Alice Knotts of Talent United Methodist Church; and Rabbi Marc Sirinsky of Temple Emek Shalom in Ashland. Sirinsky praised the fund-raising effort as a positive step in the struggle against fear and hate. "It's what I loved about the project," he said. "It's not about just one group. It's about the importance of speaking out, as a community." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA