Pioneered by Mary Ann Prado, KPK started meeting regularly in 2000. When Mary Ann Prado left that November, Jackie Fernandez took over. Composed of 14 to 25 years old as well as adult volunteers, this non-profit organization requires no membership fee and it welcomes anyone willing to be active in the community positively and voluntarily. KPK wants to emphasize the importance of support from the whole community to the activities of these young Filipinos. As can be noted in the name of the organization, it includes the word "Kaibigan" (Friends in English) which represents all the support of these young Filipinos, which includes families, friends, and various Filipino and non-Filipino organizations.
A unique activity in every KPK meeting or event is the praying time, which KPK believes is necessary to keeps its members and community supporters hopeful and thankful to God no matter what activity is undertaken. While the community's support blesses KPK activities, KPK activities are geared towards being blessings to the community as well. This is the reason why most of KPK's major events involve collecting canned goods or used clothes and donating these together with a certain percentage of out admission sales in that event to the needy such as the abused and sick children and victims of natural calamities in the Philippines.
The first project of KPK in 2000 was a mini concert featuring the golden voice of Michelle Sagucio, a young Filipina born in Hawaii and raised in Portland. This project also featured drama skills of some of the members and the total donations received during this free concert was sent to Philippines to help the victims of the fallen dumpsite in Payatas.
Then, we had the first Annual Pinoy Shoot-Out from October 28 to December 16, 2000. The games were held with the help of a $500 "Take the Time" mini grant from the Multnomah County. KPK owes the success of this very first basketball tournament from services of many volunteers especially the local Filipino referees and the members of the United Voices, a multicultural youth group of the American Friends Service Committee. The seven teams who joined included representatives from Aguman Kapampangan, Iglesia ni Kristo, North Portland, NE Portland, SE Portland, and Beaverton. KPK/UV team won the championship. West Side and Susi Brothers were 2nd place and 3rd place respectively. The Island Tribe of Tacoma, Washing ton performed during the championship game in addition to local youth performers. After the tournament, KPK joined the members of Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) Youth in "Christmas Caroling 2000". The money KPK got here helped cover the expenses during the first basketball tournament.
In 2001, KPK had "Sayawan 2001", a post-Valentine dance at the Portland State University. Young Filipinos with talents in singing and band playing were featured during this event. KPK was even able to invite "The Deep", a group of young Filipino performers from Seattle, WA. It was a peaceful and wonderful event co-sponsored by local Filipino stores, Mujeres de la Raza of Portland State University, and Portland Community College Multicultural Center. The admission sales in this event helped pay off the balanced of 1st Pinoy Shoot-Out Basketball Tournament expenses. The extra money also helped KPK join activities with other Filipino organizations like in Aguman Kapampangan's Santacruzan on June 16, the Council of Filipino American Association's Annual July 4th Picnic in Blue Lake Park, and the Feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz on September 23.
In 2002, starting in the month of January, KPK started the Filipino Youth and Friends Christian Fellowship in different homes every other Saturday evening. This very inspirational youth fellowship featured words of wisdom from Pastor Eli Dandasan and musical skills of his son Richard Dandasan, a KPK member. Because of the hectic schedule in preparation for the 3rd Annual Pinoy Shoot-Out Basketball Tournament last May, KPK had to stop the youth fellowship temporarily until the busy basketball tournament is over. This year's current basketball tournament started last June 15 and will end October 5. It features 16 participating teams coming all the way from Clark County, Washington to Salem, Oregon. The money used to buy the sound system currently being used at the tournament was the $1000 grant from the Multnomah County Department of Community and Family Services and IRCO Asian Family Center. This current tournament's admission fees are helping pay for the snacks, barbecues, and sometimes restaurant dinner for the entire group of KPK members and volunteers during or after the 9-hour tournament each Saturday. Additionally, a portion of the admission fees of this event has helped the KPK make its dream of having a beach retreat come true. A total of 20 Filipino youths were able to spend two nights at a beach home in Seal Rock, Oregon. This retreat included various activities like indoor game like the card game 1-2-3 pass and chicken feet, a domino game; volleyball and patintero by the beach; picking mussels; cooking Jollibee-like spaghetti, pansit, crab with coconut milk, pinakbet, and other Filipino dishes; candlelit prayer time; and trip to Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.
In October 2002, a few KPK members were able to attend the program hosted by Kultura Pilipinas, a Filipino student organization at the University of Oregon and it featured the former Philippine Senator Nikki Coseteng, who was promoting her book on the art of Filipino weaving. In December 2002, KPK had Christmas caroling in various homes of Filipinos and earned some money to be able to hold a Christmas party for its members and volunteers.
This 2003, in order to get more financial support for the 4th Pinoy Shoot-Out Basketball Tournament, KPK has decided to partner with Philippines American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon, a Filipino organization with a 501 c3 status. In addition to organizing the basketball tournament, several KPK members including those who are not currently attending school were able to join at least 200 of Filipino students from nine universities/ colleges in Oregon and Washington in the Northwest Filipino American Student Alliance (NWFASA) Conference with the theme "Building a Movement by our Outreach" from April 4-6, 2003 at the Oregon State University
With the support of the whole community, KPK hopes that it will be able to continue its youth-oriented activities, especially youth retreats, community-outreach activities, and the basketball tournament not only in northern Oregon but also in southern Oregon and other areas.
