Beaverton, OR. “While COVID-19 has presented numerous challenges within the travel industry, we believe regional investments in the performing arts – like the grant given to the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts – affirms the broader vision of enhancing economic vitality and community livability for Oregonians in every corner of the state,” said Dan Murphy, chair of the Washington County Visitors Association’s board of directors and co-founder of the Broadway Rose Theatre Company in Tigard. “The new facility will help enrich the Tualatin Valley arts community for visitors and locals alike.”
In a special check presentation,(pictured above) Dan Murphy, chair of the WCVA’s board of directors presented a check for $630,000 to Mayor Denny Doyle.
The Washington County Visitors Association (WCVA) announced that it is awarding the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts $630,000 toward the construction of the facility. The funding is allocated by way of $130,000 from Travel Oregon’s Regional Cooperative Tourism Program, Portland Region and the Washington County Visitors Association (WCVA), in addition to $500,000 pledged by the WCVA in March of 2019. These funds come from transient lodging taxes, which is a tax paid by visitors who stay in overnight accommodations in Washington County.
The announcement comes during National Travel and Tourism Week, which takes place from May 3 – 9. During this time, the WCVA and its partners unite to celebrate the value travel holds for our economy, businesses and personal well being.
Tourism is a major driver of economic growth in Oregon. In 2019, Washington County welcomed more than 3.2 million overnight visitors. Visitor spending in the destination topped $749.8 million, a 4.0% increase over 2018). The local tourism industry also employs 8,760 in the county. This also represents an increase from the previous year.
“In many ways, the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts will very much become a hub within the city; a venue for showcasing the community’s diversity through the arts, said Denny Doyle, mayor of the city of Beaverton. “We could not be more thrilled to have the support of our tourism partners.”
The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts (PRCA) broke ground in Beaverton, Ore. this past November.
Chris Ayzoukian of Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle, lead donor Pat Reser and Lani Faith of the Beaverton Arts Foundation at the groundbreaking ceremony.
About the Washington County Visitors Association:
The Washington County Visitors Association (WCVA) is a non-profit destination marketing organization that serves the region’s tourism industry by actively promoting Oregon’s Washington County as a desired tourism destination to business and leisure travelers, sports and event planners, meeting planners and group tour operators. The WCVA is funded by 2.33 percent of transient lodging tax (TLT) generated and collected in Washington County. The WCVA markets the destination as “Tualatin Valley.” For more information about the WCVA, visit wcva.org.
About the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts:
The Patricia Reser Center for the Arts will be the first performing arts center of its kind to be built in the Portland-metro area in more than 30 years. Nestled adjacent to The Round between SW Cedar Hills Boulevard and SW Hall Boulevard, the facility will include a 550-seat theater, art gallery, rehearsal, workshop and meeting space, lobby, outdoor plaza and adjacent parking structure. With innovative offerings in the performing arts – theater, music, dance and spoken word – the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts will be a beacon for civic engagement, creative learning and greater social cohesion. For more information, please visit: centerfortheartscampaign.org and beavertonoregon.gov/prca.
About National Travel and Tourism Week
Established in 1983 by a congressional resolution, National Travel and Tourism Week takes place annually throughout the first week of May, serving as a tradition for the U.S. travel community to celebrate the value travel holds for the economy, businesses and personal well-being. For more information, see: ustravel.org/events/national-travel-and-tourism-week.
Chris Ayzoukian of Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle, lead donor Pat Reser and Lani Faith of the Beaverton Arts Foundation at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Portland, OR. The National nonprofit, Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), celebrated its seventh annual Puparazzi Photo Contest with photos of puppies-in-training, retired guide dogs, and more. Patriotic Jambo (pictured above) was the winner of the GDB Career Change Dog category. This year’s Puparazzi Photo Contest raised nearly $39,000 during the two week submission period between April 2nd to April 16th. With over 319 photos submitted there were five overall winners in the categories of Working GDB Guide Dogs, Guide Dog Puppies, GDB Breeder Dogs, GDB Career Change Dogs, and Pet Pooches.
The winning photo entry for the Working GDB Guide Dogs category features Marsha, Alicia, Joanne and GDB guide dogs Jewel, Jerome and Nan. They are members of the Sunshine Guide Dog Teams of Florida.
Guide Dog Puppies category winner is Picard, who is enjoying a spring afternoon.
The Pet Pooches category winner is Penny, who is ready to celebrate her favorite holiday, Easter.
For the Puparazzi Photo Contest participants are encouraged to submit photos of their dogs, even if they aren’t GDB guide dogs or guide dogs in training, and to actively campaign for their photo to help raise funds for GDB’s mission in a creative, interactive way. Winners are determined by the number of votes a photo submission receives, with the entry having the highest number of votes in its respective category being crowned the winner. Winning submissions featuring GDB program dogs are included in GDB’s 2020-2021 calendar. The contest is one of the nonprofit’s chief fundraising initiatives.
As a nonprofit organization, GDB’s work is made entirely possible by the generous support of donors and volunteers, as they receive no government funding. All of GDB’s services provided to clients are free of charge, including personalized training and extensive post-graduation support, plus financial assistance for veterinary care, if needed. The Puparazzi Photo Contest, though adorable and fun, is actually a very important aspect of GDB’s fundraising efforts and helps the exceptional nonprofit continue providing clients exceptional services at no cost. To learn more about ways to support Guide Dogs for the Blind, please visit guidedogs.com.
With a Portland area campus located in Boring, Oregon, GDB works to empower individuals who are blind or have low vision by creating partnerships between people, dogs, and communities. In the spirit of community, fun and love for fluffy friends, this spring GDB put on its annual online Puparazzi Photo Contest, which benefits the organization’s overall fundraising efforts.
Portland, OR. The Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp (MHKC) auction went virtual in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. MHKC raised over $215,000 to further its mission of empowering children and adults with developmental disabilities through equitable access to the outdoors and recreation.
Originally, the event was scheduled for the same night and was planned to include live entertainment, dinner, silent and live auctions at The Nines hotel. To ensure the health and safety of their guests during the COVID-19 crisis, MHKC switched gears with just a few weeks of planning to put on their first-ever virtual event. The week-long event started on April 15th with the silent and live auction.
On April 18th, MHKC had its virtual event with auctioneer, Kelly Russell and Executive Director, Dave McDonald live-streaming on Youtube allowing their guests to watch from the safety of their home and interact via chatroom.
Here’s a video about the camp:
From Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp:
Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp has been in operation for over 85 years and has served over 17,500 children and adults with disabilities. On any given summer day, you will find campers catching fish, conquering their fear on the Adventure Course, splashing in the pool, riding a horse for the first time, whitewater rafting, and dancing the night away at campfire with new friends. Wheelchair accessible trails and innovations such as adaptive saddles, harnesses and bicycles make the traditional camp experience available to all. Camp fosters a sense of accomplishment and allows people with disabilities to experience independence and freedoms they are often denied. MHKC’s focus on equity and inclusion brings together campers and student counselors, creating lasting friendships, breaking down misperceptions, encouraging personal growth, and positively changing lives forever. To see a recap of the virtual event, visit https://vimeo.com/412482275 .
If you would like to support MHKC, please visit www.mhkc.org to make a donation or to learn more. The mailing address is 10725 SW Barbur Blvd Suite 50, Portland OR 97219.
Portland, OR. You can show your community spirit by decorating your front porch or creating a mini float at home. “Bringing Community Together While Staying Home” is the idea behind this year’s The Portland Rose Festival celebration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rose Festival is modifying traditions in an effort to celebrate community spirit and resilience, and inspire hope. The concept is to be “Parading in Place!” Organizers invite you to join the festivities by submitting your entries for the Porch Parade in May, or the Grand Petite Parade in June.
Here’s all the information you need for the Porch Parade:
Rose Festival has always been a celebration of people, events, and traditions; bridging communities in the City of Roses and beyond. This spring we are asking members of the community to celebrate with us by decorating their front porches. Choose one of our themes as inspiration, or go wild with your own ideas. The purpose of decorating is to unleash your creativity and bring a smile to your friends and neighbors.
The Rose Festival will produce a virtual map with the locations of all our registered Porches, so you can plan a walk or drive around your neighborhood to see and share in the celebration.
Saturday, May 23 and Saturday, May 30 will each see a Rose Festival VIP Procession drive through select Porch Parade neighborhoods.
As a special thank you, the first 100 Porches in the Portland Metro Area that register will receive a FREE Rose Festival Porch Parade lawn sign that will magically appear in your lawn, no need to touch it or interact with anyone.
The more registered Porches in your neighborhood, the better your chances are for having the Rose Festival VIP Procession to come by, so get your neighbors involved too!
If you have a rose garden out front that’s visible from the street or sidewalk, we’d love to have you be a part of our Porch Parade Map! Use the Porch Parade registration form to register your rose garden.
Step 2: Decorate Your Porch
Choose one of our themes as inspiration, or go wild with your own ideas. The point of decorating is to unleash your creativity and inspire hope for your friends and neighbors.
Porches must be fully decorated by 12 noon on Saturday, May 16, and able to stay up until midnight Saturday, May 30.
Porches must be appropriate for a family-friendly audience.
Don’t have a porch? No problem! Feel free to decorate your lawn, the sidewalk, a window, or something else visible from the street or sidewalk.
Step 3: Explore, Celebrate, Share
Check the Porch Parade Map often to see how the celebration is growing!
Go for a walk around your neighborhood, take pictures of the Porches you find, and tag us on social to help share the joy! @pdxrosefestival #paradinginplace #RFporchparade #rosesforhope
The more people who take part, the more celebration there is to share, so get your friends and neighbors involved!
Rules & Regulations:
Displays must be fully decorated by 12 noon on Saturday, May 16, and able to stay up until Saturday, May 30, and must be appropriate for a family audience.
Displays should not focus on religious, political, ideological, or controversial themes or issues. Use of any political sign, social or political material is not permitted.
Portland Rose Festival reserves the right to exclude any displays that do not meet our guidelines or that feature content not aligned with our mission.
Registration for the Porch Parade or Grand Petite Parade and/or tagging @pdxrosefestival or using #paradinginplace, #RFporchparade, #grandpetiteparade, #grandfloralfun, #juniormakers, #starlightporchbright or #rosesforhope with related photos or videos on social media, grants the Portland Rose Festival permission to use your images and footage on any platform.
Here’s information on the Grand Petite Parade:
The Grand Petite Parade will premiere on Facebook Live on Saturday, June 6. This virtual parade will feature shoebox floats from community members, a celebration of marching bands, and other Rose Festival parade favorites. Just like the early Rose Festival parades that used Portlanders’ own roses to decorate the floats, participants are invited to use materials from home to build shoebox parade floats and submit photos to be included in the live stream.
Have you always wanted to see a float that features a unicorn? Can you imagine a float that is fit for the Rose Festival Queen? Do you have a favorite Rose Festival float from the past that you’d like to recreate (or improve upon) with materials from home? Create your own shoebox float and send in your photos and videos to be a part of the parade.
Don’t have any craft supplies at home? No problem! Does your family have a particular parade talent that you’ve always wanted to share? Forego the float and send in photos and videos of your family marching band, drill team, or synchronized baton routine!
Now is your chance to showcase your creativity and talents, and maybe win some fun Rose Festival swag in the process! Grand Petite Parade “Rosette Award” winners will be chosen from eligible entries and revealed during the live stream.
Step 1 – Create:
Grab a “shoebox” – Start with a base like a recently delivered online order box, or grandma’s hatbox, or your skateboard, or even an RC car to build on. It doesn’t have to roll, but it does need to meet the minimum size requirements.
Find your materials – Entries should be made from things you already have at home. You could use flowers from your yard, craft supplies, construction paper, dolls/action figures, paper mache, clay, paint, markers, sequins, seeds, or anything else you can find to bring your float to life!
Pick a theme and start building – floats can showcase an original design, recreate (or improve upon) a historical parade float, or tell a story about your vision for future Rose Festival parades!
Step 2 – Share:
Show us your progress – document the steps you take as you build your Grand Petite Parade float. Are you making marching band uniforms for your action figures – show us how! Are you making a butterfly float that flaps its wings – let us see how it works! Post progress pictures, tips and tricks, fun teases of your theme, or even bloopers on your social media and tag us @pdxrosefestival #paradinginplace #GrandPetiteParade for a chance to be featured on the Rose Festival’s social media prior to parade day.
Submit your entry – fill out the Registration Form and send us photos of your finished creation.
Step 3 – Celebrate:
Watch the parade – See your float featured in the the Grand Petite Parade on Facebook Live at 11am, Saturday, June 6, 2020.
Share your participation – All participants will receive a digital certificate acknowledging their participation in the first ever Grand Petite Parade!
Win Rose Festival swag – “Rosette Award” certificates will be given in several categories! Winners will receive souvenir 2020 Rose Vision lapel pins, and the Sweepstakes winner will be invited to attend a future Grand Floral Parade as guests of the Portland Rose Festival!
Rules and Regulations:
Completed floats should measure a minimum of 12” long by 10” high – there are no maximum dimensions.
Entries and themes must be appropriate for a family audience. Entry should not focus on religious, political, ideological, or controversial themes or issues. Use of any political sign, social or political material is not permitted.
All submissions must be received by 5:00 p.m., PST, June 1, 2020.
Portland Rose Festival reserves the right to edit photos and videos as needed.
Registration for the Grand Petite Parade or Porch Parade and/or tagging @pdxrosefestival or using #paradinginplace, #RFporchparade, #grandpetiteparade, or #rosesforhope with related photos or videos on social media, grants the Portland Rose Festival permission to use your images and footage on any platform.
Portland Rose Festival reserves the right to exclude any submissions that do not meet our guidelines or that feature content not aligned with our mission.
“Rosette Award” winners will be chosen from eligible entries and decided at the sole discretion of the Portland Rose Festival Foundation. Winners will receive prize notifications via email and any physical awards will be sent via standard US post.
Join the parade! Complete our online Registration Form to submit your entry for the Grand Petite Parade. Eligible entries include shoebox floats, family marching bands, and other parade-style acts of showmanship! Share progress pictures, tips and tricks, fun teases of your theme, or even bloopers on your social media and tag us @pdxrosefestival #paradinginplace #GrandPetiteParade for a chance to be featured on the Rose Festival’s social media prior to parade day.
All entries must include 1-3 photos of the float or group. Shoebox floats wishing to be eligible for Rosette Awards must include a photo featuring the completed float from the front right side, “traveling” in the direction from left to right of the image frame. Videos are not required, but 1 video, up to 15 seconds in length, may be submitted in addition to photos.
All entries must be received by 5pm, June 1, 2020, in order to qualify for the Grand Petite Parade. If you have questions or need additional information, please send us an email with the subject line: Grand Petite Parade.
Helpful Tips and Award Information
You don’t need a shoebox to put your best foot forward! As long as your float meets the minimum size requirement and meets the rules for theme and content – it can be made from anything you already have at home. Floats are not required to roll or move, but extra creativity points may be awarded for motion, automation, or animation. You can begin with a theme or idea and collect materials to bring that float to life, or you can look around your home to find items you’d like to feature and build your float to suit your materials.
Get the whole family involved! Choose a design you can all get behind and work together. Are you the competitive sort…then why not pick a theme and let everyone build their own masterpiece?
Do you need help getting the creative juices flowing? Maybe the Rosette Award categories will help to inspire you! These awards for shoebox floats are based on the real awards given to all floral covered floats in the Grand Floral Parade each year. Grand Petite Parade Rosette Awards will be announced on Saturday, June 6, 2020.
Sweepstakes Rosette (Most outstanding float in the Parade)
Queens Rosette (Most creative float in the Parade)
Grab your snacks, gather the family, and watch the Grand Petite Parade on Facebook Live, 11 am on Saturday, June 6, at the Portland Rose Festival page. Follow us at @pdxrosefestival and on the Rose Festival Facebook Page to get updates and notifications.
The virtual parade will feature shoebox floats and creative entries from community members, a celebration of marching bands, and other Rose Festival parade favorites.
Portland, OR. Portland Center Stage (PCS) is hosting a virtual gala called, “A Night at the Moulin Rouge.” The benefit will be held on May 9, starting at 7 p.m.
It will be a live-streamed gala, featuring performances and auction packages, all to support the theater productions like DeLanna Studi in “And So We Walked,” pictured above. (Photo credit, Bert VanderVeen.)
From PCS:
We’ve invited some PCS favorites to our virtual stage, including Storm Large and James Beaton, Delphon “DJ” Curtis Jr., and cast members from In the Heights. And to kick it all off, Broadway star Devin Ilaw will make his PCS virtual debut with an uplifting song to get us all excited for our amazing season ahead.
★ Watch to Win —A few lucky viewers will win a pair of tickets for an upcoming production just for tuning into the live stream!
★ Quarantine Relief Raffle — Get your raffle tickets for the ultimate night at home, including treats from Nectar Cannabis, Adelsheim Winery, and more. Raffle tickets are $10. (Click “Start Bidding” and create an account to purchase.)
★ Dazzle & Sparkle — Ballgowns or sweat pants? You decide! Then share your Moulin Rouge flair by tagging #pcsgala or #pcsproud. Here’s some gala wardrobe inspiration.
Open to all, free of charge! Streamed live on Facebook and at pcs.org.
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