Philanthropists Junki and Linda Yoshida, of Yoshida cooking sauce fame, have donated their 15-acre, riverfront estate in Troutdale to the Randall Children's Hospital Foundation to support the pediatric programs at Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel.

The gift, valued at $1.7 million by the foundation, includes a century-old, lodge-style house and gravel paths that pass five theme gardens, a gazebo and tropical, grotto-like area fed by a year-round waterfall.

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Linda Yoshida points to large “healing” stones near the waterfall.

“My husband and I are thrilled to know that Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel has great plans for our home and property,” she said Sunday. “The house lends itself to families in need of relaxation and escapes from cancer treatments and the heartbreak of loss. We have been told that not only families, but also doctors and nurses need a place to heal. And Yoshida Haven Estate is the perfect solution.”

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Junki Yoshida, who emigrated from Japan decades ago with only $500 and a family sauce recipe, heads The Yoshida Group, which includes a property management company, Crater Lake Soda and Riverview Restaurant across Southeast Stark Street from their home.

He is also a member of the Randall Children’s Hospital Foundation board of trustees.

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Linda Yoshida writes novels under the pseudonym Kaylin McFarren and is president of the Soulful Giving Foundation, which runs the annual Soulful Giving Blanket Concert that has raised $370,000 for Randall Children's Hospital.

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For eight years, thousands of people have gathered at a time at the estate on a vast lawn facing a stage to hear live 1980s music and support the fundraiser for cancer-related causes in Oregon.

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The last Soulful Giving Blanket Concert the Yoshidas will host on their property will be Aug. 3.

Donors and volunteers make it possible to give all the money raised from admission tickets, sponsorships, auction items and other donations to cancer research and care.

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Soulful Giving Foundation

WATCH: Junki Yoshida explains his approach to fighting "stupid cancer."

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Over the years, events at the Yoshida estate have raised more than $2 million for Albertina Kerr Centers, OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Children's Cancer Association and other groups.

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The couple bought the property next to the Sandy River in 1991. The land was developed eight decades before by the Portland Automobile Club, which eventually become AAA.



The original clubhouse is now the Yoshidas' home. They added guest housing and other buildings to the estate, and hired a designer and gardeners to landscape with native shrubs and trees.

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Concert vendors sell food, beverages and items at booths that overflow into an air-conditioned pavilion and outdoor courtyards.



In the future, the event center could be used as art and nursing classrooms, and motivational speakers could stay in the guest cottage, said Linda Yoshida.

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She said bedrooms in the main residence can accommodate bunkbeds, and patients' friends and family can gather in the living room, dining space and a book-filled library.



The kitchen, with multiple ovens and plenty of preparation counters, was designed to feed large groups.

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The couple plan to live on the estate for one to two more years, then move out with the sentimental items they will take to their new home in Portland.

“The balance [of possessions] will belong to Randall’s to do with as they please,” said Yoshida, who added that her family will continue to support medical and educational organizations in Oregon.

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“The greatest thrill for giving is the reward it brings,” she said. “We have been asked, 'Why do you support children’s causes?' The answer is simple. God has blessed us with healthy children and grandchildren.”

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She said the eldest of their three children suffered from severe yellow jaundice when she was born. In addition to the health fear, the then-young parents worried about paying for hospital bills.



"This was a wake-up call and the first time Junki used the phase 'positive revenge,'" said Linda, adding that people should do whatever they can to help a child battling life-threatening illnesses.

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Bronwyn J. Houston, president of Randall Children’s Hospital, acknowledged the Yoshidas' enduring partnership in helping children and their families, especially those under the care of the Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders team.

"We are so thankful to Junki and Linda for recognizing and valuing the importance of children’s health," said Houston. "Investing in children’s health now will help create a stronger next generation. What a smart investment in our community."

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WATCH: Landscape designer and master gardener Elaine Hutson explains the restored waterfall at an estate in Troutdale, Oregon.

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