Bless Field Update

We are overdue for an update about our Bless Field project. So let’s get to it.

• Beating Seattle. Our kickoff event, Beating Seattle Never Gets Old: A Benefit for Bless Field was a huge success. Close to 250 supporters came out to the Hollywood Theater to relive some classic Timbers moments from the past and hear from the players that lived that history including Willie Anderson, Bernie Fagan, Roger Goldingay, Mick Hoban, Bill Irwin and Jimmy Kelly. Beating Seattle raised over $3,500 and much more in awareness for the Bless Field project.




• Art Takeover. You all remember the amazing Factory North event Art Takeover poster project last year benefitting Harper’s Playground? Well Art Takeover is back for 2013 and its looking to be bigger and better than ever. This year’s event is scheduled for August 10 and will feature limited-run felt pennants featuring designs inspired by Timbers Army songs, past and present. In addition, a number of large-scale, Portland inspired flags will be sold by auction. Sponsorship and support from the 107 Independent Supporter’s Trust, Coava Coffee, Salt & Straw, Widmer, Actual Industries, Seizure Palace and many more promise to make for an awesome way to support Bless Field.
• Construction Update. Even though fundraising is far from complete, we’ve already begun investing your donation into Bless Field. Before construction can begin, we had to complete a survey of the site as well as a geotechnical soil analysis. The results of these two efforts will be used by our architecture firm, Group Mackenzie, to develop detailed construction designs that the contractor will use to build the field. Both these steps are complete and details construction drawings are underway. If you’ve been by the field in the last few weeks you may have noticed some work happening on the East side of the lot. This work relates to the bike hub and training paths operated by the Community Cycling Center and should not affect Bless Field.




• Bless Book. To assist help get the word out about Bless Field, OPI developed a interactive iBook packed with photos, videos and information about the project. If you have an iPad, you can download it for free from the Apple iBookstore. If you don’t have an iPad, you can get all the same information (without the fun videos, pictures and interactive features) in this PDF. Feel free to share this link with your friends and co-workers who are interested in learning more about Bless Field: http://bit.ly/BlessBook.
• Park Project Update. Unrelated to Bless Field, we’ve completed two park repair events so far this summer in Willamette Park and Lents Park. We’ve also supported field and grounds restoration work by the Timbers Army Football Club at Marshall High School and Franklin High School. We’ve even acquired some line-painting equipment to get those newly refinished pitches looking sharp prior to match day. While we had to drop our planned June park event due to City budget constraints, we are still hoping for another event late in the summer.

Expect to hear more in coming weeks about Art Takeover. Thanks for all your support. As usual, you can keep up with us on Twitter @opipdx or by keeping an eye on our blog.

Goal! Painted - OPI Restores Goal Equipment with PPR

On August 5, a blistering Sunday morning, some four dozen Operation Pitch Invasion volunteers descended on a Portland Parks and Recreation storage facility in SE Portland to restore several score soccer goals to shiny, playable condition. In the course of about 4 hours, the OPI crew sorted, scraped, repainted and stored away approximately 75 goals (1 crossbar and 2 stanchions each), creating glistening white equipment where there was once a pile of rusted, dingy metal. The goals will now be used throughout the PPR soccer field inventory for the upcoming soccer season.

These repairs make the equipment look great, yes, but this wasn't just a cosmetic touch-up job. The restoration extends the life of the equipment as well. But that said, there's something nice about showing up to play a seeing the goals looking fresh.

The PPR crew laid out a barbecue lunch for the OPI volunteers, who gobbled burgers and hot dogs before rushing off to Jeld-Wen Field and the Timbers match. A job well done and a memorable day.

OPI will be back in action on August 25, restoring the fields at Clinton park. Details and volunteer sign-ups soon to be announced.

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OPI 2012 Workdays - Save the Date!!

Hello, friends. We have been hard at work lining up some great events for 2012. Last year's events at Ed Benedict Park and James John Elementary were hugely popular. So, we've lined up more events just like that: some hard work with good friends to make our City's pitches and soccer equipment just a little bit better.

We'll be looking for at least 50 volunteers for each of our events. We'll start early, 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. In some cases, we may need two shifts of volunteers to get all the work done. But for now, we just want you to save the dates! Full details and a sign-up form for each of these events will follow when the dates get closer. On away match days, we'll try and coordinate a viewing party at a nearby pub. On home match days, we'll be sure to get done in time so you can get to your local in time for pre-match festivities.

• Saturday, June 30. Park improvement. Colorado away at 6:00.
• Sunday, August 5. Equipment improvement. Dallas at Portland at 4:00.
• Saturday, August 25. Park improvement. Vancouver at Portland at 7:30
• Saturday, September 22. Park improvement. Salt Lake away at 5:00

The best way to stay up to date on our events is to subscribe to our mailing list! We won't spam you and you can unsubscribe at any time. If you have previously volunteered for one of our events, you are already on our mailing list.

Thanks for your support! Looking forward to working with you in 2012!

Ed Benedict Park Project Completed!

Thank You!

Yesterday, volunteers from the 107 Independent Supporters Trust and employees from Portland Parks and Recreation gathered to restore two pitches in Ed Benedict Park in the inaugural event for Operation Pitch Invasion. The event was a great success. With your help, OPI

• repaired the previously inoperable irrigation systems on two pitches
• leveled, fertilized and seeded one rutted and bumpy pitch
• restored the goal box areas on two pitches

Most notably, your work today returned a pitch to service that was previously unplayable, literally making more fields available for Portlanders to enjoy the beautiful game. Thank you!

Our work isn't done. As many of you know, OPI is helping 107ist and AC Portland with a major project at James John Elementary and we need your help! We ask that you join us next Saturday, July 23, to help with removal and disposal of asphalt brownies as we turn pavement into a pitch. We have arranged a post work party at St Johns Pub to watch the Timbers take on the Crew. Visit the OPI website for more information or sign up to volunteer!

Thanks again to 107ist, Portland Parks and Recreation and the Timbers Army for making today's work and OPI a reality. We look forward to repairing more of our City's pitches with you, one at a time.