About

SPEWW: the Society for the Promotion of Equality for Witches & Wizards (formerly PDXpelliarmus and the Portland Chapter of Fandom Forward/The Harry Potter Alliance) is an all-volunteer Portland nonprofit*.  We engage our local community to promote literacy, equality, and human rights, to raise funds for worthy nonprofits, and to encourage fan activism and civic engagement.

We have several annual events, including:

• Tabling at Fan Expo has been really great for us to connect with new community members. We sell our goods, provide a free magical photo op, and run a workshop for children called Way of the Wand that gets them up and moving and let’s them practice proper wand technique with a non-magical wand. 
• Wizarding Weekend at McMenamin’s Kennedy School. Since 2017, SPEWW has been partnering with McMenamin’s to celebrate Harry’s birthday. It has evolved from a small event consisting of a showing of Sorceror’s Stone, trivia, and costume contest all in the theater, to quite literally taking over the public spaces with a Great Hall, Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, and Hogsmeade with local vendors who produce amazing magical items. Our activities have both stayed the same (costume contest & trivia are still around) and also evolved (we have done a Horcrux hunt, Pixie hunt, riddles, bingo, and more) over the now 3-day event at the end of July. We collect school supplies for children in need & collect books for underserved schools, depending on the year. Some of the places we’ve helped are Rose Haven, Boys & Girls Aid, and Schools Uniting Neighborhoods.
• Tabling at Rose City Comic Com, where we our called Way of the Wand workshop, sell magical goods, have a fun photo op, and usually do a hands-on craft with attendees. Our group often hosts or is part of panels regarding problematic fandoms, witches in pop culture, and how to house fundraising events using fandom.
• Geek Craft Expo takes place over the Thanksgiving weekend and is our chance to sell some items we make and get our name out to a new group of people. Our proceeds often go to a smaller local charity, like Trans Wardrobe Project, or gives us a bit of a bump for Yule Ball planning.
• In December we hold a Yule Ball, an evening of well-mannered frivolity that includes a feast, music, dancing, butterbeer, and magic.  We have welcomed hundreds of guests from all over the Pacific Northwest and raised tens of thousands of dollars for organizations including ChickTech, Girls Build, Elder Pride Services at Friendly House, the Marie Equi Center, and more.

Though we try to do more events throughout the year, it’s not always possible with our small group of volunteers. We have events that we do semi-regularly and we do our best to make them more regular.

Sporadic events include: 

• Hogwarts Early Admissions Program, or HEAP,  is an enchanted afternoon of games and activities for all ages at a local library.
• Pride is magic and we love to be part of Portland Pride and spread our message of equality and inclusivity in our community. Since Portland moved Pride to July, which we absolutely support a longer Pride celebration, it is much harder for us to fit into our schedule when we’re deep into planning for Wizarding Weekend.
• Pedalpalooza/Bike Summer is a chance for people to engage in fandom and cosplay while also getting exercise. We plan a wizard ride where we encourage folx to dress up and/or decorate their bikes for a leisurely ride with new friends.
• We’ve just started doing Volunteer drop-ins/meet & greets to allow those interested in volunteering a chance to meet us and ask any questions they may have and also meet other volunteers. We are hoping to do more regular outings in general, just to engage more with our wizarding society on a smaller scale. Look for our next one on the events sidebar. If you’d like to volunteer with us, we’d love to have you!

*In October of 2018, SPEWW became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, incorporated in the State of Oregon.  Our EIN is 83-2006002

Our Board of Governors

• Shereen Rayle – Head Witch In Charge
• Kim Rode – Gringott’s Liaison
• Summer Calcagno – Back-Up Witch

You can contact them at PDXHPA@gmail.com.

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SPEWW Heads of House

Though we are all volunteers, we have a core group of magical people who keep our events running.