02-22-07

Media Release

OSU Alumni, Friends to Celebrate “An Orange and Black Evening” in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. – With help from Portland Mayor Tom Potter’s declaration that the evening will be “Orange and Black Night” in Oregon’s largest city, alumni and friends of Oregon State University will gather in Portland Friday, April 20, for a gala event to celebrate the many achievements of the university’s students, faculty and graduates.

Potter recently issued the declaration to the event’s sponsor, the OSU Alumni Association, noting the strong mutual ties between Portland and the university. No city in the nation sends more students to OSU, and about 40,000 of OSU’s 140,000 alumni live in the Portland area.

Officially titled “An Orange and Black Evening: A Gala to Celebrate OSU,” the event will be held in the atrium of the landmark Montgomery Park building at 2701 N.W. Vaughn St.

OSU alumni, friends and campus leaders, including university President Ed Ray, will enjoy fine food, hosted beverages and dance music provided by OSU alumnus Barbara Lusch, one of Portland’s most popular jazz vocalists, and her five-piece band.

The gala is one of several efforts by the OSU Alumni Association to boost its presence in the metropolitan area and provide Portland-area alumni with more OSU-related activities close to where they live and work. Other initiatives include a lunch speaker series, young alumni activities and a volunteer effort to deliver meals to needy and housebound Portlanders.

Paul Cathcart, assistant director for regional programs, was hired in 2006 to expand and oversee association efforts in the Portland and Seattle areas. He lives and works in downtown Portland.

Tickets to “An Orange and Black Evening” are $100 per person, $25 of which is a tax-deductible contribution to the alumni association’s Excellence Fund. Tables for eight can be purchased for $700. Additionally, limited opportunities are available for those who would like to become event patrons or sponsors.

For more information, to register or to inquire about a sponsorship opportunity, go to www.osualum.com/evening, or call toll-free 877-305-3759.