2018 STORIES OF SUMMER
SUMMER FREE FOR ALL On summer afternoons across Portland, kids hurry to their neighborhood park for sports and games, arts and crafts, and a free lunch to fuel up for the day’s adventures. At Dawson Park, the rhythm of a funky bass line rises and a concertgoer waves to a stranger moving through traffic. “Join us!” They exchange smiles, and the beat goes on. And all around the city, there’s dancing. Unabashed, unapologetic, open-minded, try-new-things dancing. Bhangra, hip-hop, samba, swing. Children and adults get on their feet, pulled by the undeniable call to move to the music. At summer’s end, the last slurp of bubblegum-flavored shave ice, the rolling credits of the final movie, and sleepy little ones signal the close of another memorable season spent with friends new and old, family, and neighbors. To the hundreds of partners who made these summer memories possible—we can’t thank you enough. Special thanks to former Commissioner-in-charge Amanda Fritz and the hardworking and passionate staff and volunteers at Portland Parks & Recreation—it takes a village!
Summer Free For All builds community through free, inclusive, and family-friendly activities that celebrate Portland’s diverse cultures and local artists.
OUR REACH OVER 13 WEEKS BENJAMIN BRINK
Attendance 200,766 Free Lunches Served 96,815 Web Views 551,395 Facebook Reach 404,735 Radio Commercials THOUSANDS Cable Commercials HUNDREDS THANKS TO COMCAST
Print/Digital Media Mentions 46 in English and Spanish
Televised News Stories 8 in English and Spanish
Languages Marketing SFFA 9 in Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, English, Nepali, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese
FRONT AND BACK COVER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BENJAMIN BRINK
On behalf of grateful Portlanders, thank you for helping us realize the vision of parks and recreation for all. NICK FISH, COMMISSIONER PORTLAND PARKS & RECREATION MARY RUBLE, BOARD CHAIR PORTLAND PARKS FOUNDATION
Scenes from the 2018 summer season: Dancers performing during Tonga Day 2018 at Gateway Discovery Park; free mini-music lessons at Lincoln Park during Free Lunch + Play; Portland Trail Blazers street team at Essex Park; Colectivo Son Jarocho de Portland teaching zapateado to young audience members before a movie at George Park; arts and crafts at Khunamokwst Park; staying cool and diving into Free Open Play Swimming at Peninsula Park outdoor pool. Photography courtesy of Benjamin Brink and Mick Hangland-Skill.
STORIES OF SUMMER HELLO, SUMMER! For many Portlanders, free lunches and fun in Portland parks officially marks the beginning of summer. This year, we took our kickoff event to the new Luuwit View Park. On this special day, nearby families and 300 kids got a first taste of what was to come with Blazers B-ball clinics, Timbers-hosted foot golf and cornhole games, First Tee golf clinics, a Nike soccer clinic, and a skateboarding demo. This was Luuwit View’s inaugural year as a Free Lunch + Play site, sponsored by the Parkrose School District. By the end of summer, we provided healthy meals—a total of 2,795 lunches at Luuwit View—and engaging activities to kids most in need. LUUWIT VIEW PARK
1,751
FREE ACTIVITIES AT 68 SITES
BENJAMIN BRINK
FROM INDIA TO PORTLAND The heat couldn’t keep away the hundreds gathered at Laurelhurst Park to celebrate India’s Independence Day. DJ Prashant and the Jai Ho! Dance Troupe got the crowd moving and smiling with an interactive Indian dance, and two young boys added their own energetic and delightful dance piece. Before the Bollywood movie began, DJ Prashant shared a memory of watching movies outdoors in India as a kid, never dreaming there would come a day when he would relive the experience under the stars here in Portland with his parents visiting from India. LAURELHURST PARK ELMER’S RESTAURANTS Lining up to try their luck at a spinning prize wheel, people of all ages were eager to win a kid-size apron, a meal coupon, or a free sundae! Elmer’s Restaurants, a Portland institution since 1960, brought its mission to “Delight Our Guests” to many movie and concert events. “Summer Free For All’s mission and values align with ours, and the programs reach people who mirror our own guests and team members: diverse, hardworking families and individuals that deserve some free entertainment, fun, and more opportunities to make positive memories together,” says company vice president Jill Ramos. CITYWIDE
58
DAYS OF FREE LUNCHES + PLAY
250
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES AT LUNCH + PLAY SITES
27
CONCERTS
RYAN FERRIS
32
MOVIES
69
SUMMER FREE FOR ALL | 2018 STORIES OF SUMMER
FREE SWIM SESSIONS
MAKING ART AND NEW FRIENDS Craton Highways came to Portland as a refugee in 2011 and found his community in the arts. Now a staff member at Multnomah Arts Center, he spent the summer making art with children at the nearby Stephens Creek Crossing Apartments—a community where 18 languages are spoken—organized in partnership with Summer Free For All’s Free Lunch + Play program. Craton says, “This work means a lot to me. I love making art with these kids and seeing how it helps them—and helped me—play and make friends, and overcome differences in language and culture.” STEPHENS CREEK CROSSING APARTMENTS
WAKANDA FOREVER Excitement was in the air as 800 people gathered at the first-ever Summer Free For All movie—Black Panther— at Lents Park. Before the superhero lit up the night, DJ Drae Slapz and local hip-hop legend Mic Capes brought the beats for an interactive performance as kids lined up for Wakanda-inspired face painting. Organized in partnership with Young, Gifted and Black/Brown (YGBPortland), this very special event reflected the community on the stage and the screen and in the crowd. LENTS PARK MUSIC AND DANCING AMID THE ROSES With the sweet fragrance of roses in the air, festivalgoers gathered in our beloved International Rose Test Garden Amphitheater for three inspired—and inspiring—performances as part of Washington Park Summer Festival. With dances rooted in the African diaspora, Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater captivated the audience. Portland SummerFest entertained the crowd with the classic Italian opera Tosca. And on the closing night, Orquestra Pacifico Tropical’s electrifying South American cumbias had everyone dancing on one of the hottest days of the year. These joyous evenings presented the full vision of the annual festival: a cultural event that showcases performers and celebrates one of the crown jewels of Portland’s parks. WASHINGTON PARK
SUMMER FREE FOR ALL EVENT LOCATIONS ACROSS PORTLAND
BENJAMIN BRINK
SPONSORS and SUPPORTERS SINCERE THANKS TO OUR THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS! Your support makes Summer Free For All possible. For every dollar the City spent, community leaders gave $3.96. 12%
Sponsors and Community Partners
1%
Grants
1%
Community Donations at Events
$2.47 MILLION
20%
City of Portland General Fund
66%
In-Kind Donations from Sponsors and Program Partners
Special thanks to NW Natural and Bank of America for their continued community partnership and special support of Summer Free For All's Sponsor Appreciation Night.
PORTLANDPARKS.ORG
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PORTLANDPF.ORG
PREMIER $25,000+ BANK OF AMERICA COLLAGE COMCAST ELMER'S RESTAURANTS, INC. IHEARTMEDIA PORTLAND LEAD $10,000+ Nike, Inc. NW Natural Oregon Blue Print Oregon Department of Education Pacific Power The Trail Blazers Foundation Juan Young Trust SUPPORTING $5,000+ KEEN Footwear Lyft Meals on Wheels People New Seasons Market Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon Portland General Electric (PGE) The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation U.S. Bank University of Western States Wells Fargo Whole Foods Market PROGRAM PARTNERS The Bookmobile Babe Centennial School District Nutrition Services Community Music Center David Douglas School District Nutrition Services The First Tee of Greater Portland Global Marketing Concepts, LLC Growing Gardens Latino Network Multnomah County Library (Holgate LIbrary) Oregon Food Bank Oregon Schwa Parkrose School District Nutrition Services Portland Festival Symphony Portland Fire & Rescue Portland Free Play Portland Parks Golf Portland Pickles Portland Public Schools Nutrition Services Portland SummerFest Portland Timbers & Thorns FC Portland Trail Blazers Providence Portland Medical Foundation Reading Pirates Recreation Equipment, Inc. (REI) Reynolds School District Rose City Rollers The Tongan Community Urban Gleaners Vibe of Portland Young Gifted Artists SERIES CHAMPION $2,500+ Avangrid Renewables, LLC Belmont Family Dentistry Concordia Neighborhood Association Generations, LLC Legacy Emanuel Medical Center The Living Room Coffeehouse Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Portland Parks & Recreation, Equity & Inclusion Vacasa
CONTRIBUTING $1,000+ Atlas Motors, LLC The Bee Columbia Bank Concordia University Courtyard Plaza Eliot Neighborhood Association Green Oasis Paddle Board & Dispensary Hazelwood Neighborhood Association Home Forward Hong Phat Food Center Kids Obstacle Challenge OnPoint Community Credit Union Sellwood Moreland Business Alliance Sellwood Moreland Improvement League Washman, LLC GOOD NEIGHBOR $300+ Academy Theater Sean Z Becker Real Estate Bikram Yoga SE Portland Bui Tofu, Inc. Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) Lee Cannon Insurance Agency, Inc. Cat Hospital of Portland Central City Concern Classical Ballet Academy Classique Floors + Tile Corkscrew Wine Bar Dwell Realty Tom Dwyer Automotive Services Eastgate Bible Chapel Fire on the Mountain Buffalo Wings Flying Pie Pizzeria Frock Boutique Front Porch Properties PDX Gazelle Natural Fibre Clothing Gilbert Bros. Commercial Brokerage Co. Gino's Restaurant and Bar Glisan Dental Corporation John Hasenberg Architect Hawthorne Auto Clinic, Inc. Heiberg Garbage & Recycling Aubrey Holt, State Farm Agency Dave Johnson, Windermere Realty Trust Laurelwood SE Public House Level Beer Little Bean Masciocchi McMenamins Kennedy School Ann McMullen & Scott Kacek Mill Park Neighborhood Association Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association Mt. Tabor Veterinary Care Mr. Plywood Multnomah County Vector Control Myoptic Optometry and Dry Eye Clinic North by Northeast Community Health Center Northwestern Mutual Oaks Amusement Park The Observatory Open Signal Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace Pacific NW Federal Credit Union PepsiCo Personal Beast, Inc. The Place Portland Real Estate Team Portland Business Alliance Portland Farmers Market—Lents International Portland Nursery
Portland Parks & Recreation, Urban Forestry Portland Rowing Club Rain or Shine Coffee House Reed College Retirement Connection Reverend's BBQ Steve Russell, Winderemere Realty Trust St. Michael's Lutheran Church Sellwood Flower Company Sellwood Pet Supply Snap Fitness—Sellwood Sock Dreams Sojourn Church Spencers Appliances, Inc. Springwater Pilates Studio Stark Street Pizza Company Unitus Community Credit Union Vacation Internationale Jennee Vega Agency Jessica Vega Pederson, Multnomah County Commissioner Warner Pacific University Emily, Mike & Django Watson Westmoreland Ace Hardware (w)here Real Estate Whittemore Family Dentistry Williams Vancouver Business Association Wonder Ballroom COMMUNITY PARTNERS Alameda Neighborhood Association Argay Terrace Neighborhood Association Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Association Black Parent Initiative, Inc. (BPI) Boise Neighborhood Association Bollywood Dreams Entertainment Brentwood-Darlington Neighborhood Association Bridlemile Neighborhood Association Brooklyn Neighborhood Association Centennial Community Association Creston-Kenilworth Neighborhood Association Crestwood Neighborhood Association Cully Association of Neighbors Fernhill Summer Concerts Committee Foster-Powell Neighborhood Association Historic Mississippi Business Association Irvington Community Association Madison South Neighborhood Maplewood Neighborhood Association Markham Neighborhood Association Montavilla Neighborhood Association Mt. Tabor/Berrydale Concerts Committee New Columbia Campus Partners Overlook Neighborhood Association Pearl District Neighborhood Association Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood Association Richmond Neighborhood Association The Rosewood Initiative St. Johns Center for Opportunity Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) Sellwood Riverfront Park Concerts Committee South Waterfront Community Relations SWNI Equity & Inclusion Committee Ventura Park Concerts Committee Vernon Neighborhood Association Wilkes Community Group Woodlawn Neighborhood Association YGBPortland AND MANY MORE!