Oregon 150 Announces Sesquicentennial Projects

-- February 14, 2009 Marks Oregon’s Statehood Sesquicentennial --

(Portland, Oregon, July 18, 2007) –At the July 11th board meeting, Oregon 150’s Board of Directors approved a strategic plan setting forth a full slate of sesquicentennial projects starting February 14, 2009 (Oregon’s 150th birthday).

“We want to thank all the Oregonians who commented on the plan and contributed their ideas and passion,” said Barbara Sidway, chair of the volunteer citizen board of directors. “Oregon’s sesquicentennial will be an important and fun time for us all to appreciate our past, celebrate the present, and imagine our state’s future.”

Oregon 150 will host these signature projects in 2009:

Take Care of Oregon Day* will see Oregonians in every corner of the state rolling up their sleeves on a specified day (or days) during Oregon’s birthday commemoration to give back to their state. For instance, Oregonians might clear trails, paint a school, or clean up a pioneer cemetery. We want to involve as many people as possible in every county in Oregon and will mount a strong marketing campaign. The event could end up being the biggest day of volunteerism in the nation and set an example for the rest of the country.
Oregon Stories: Just as Oregon is a land of varied landscapes, so too are its people and their stories. Oregon Stories’ goal is to gather these testimonials to document who we are as Oregonians, how our state has developed, and—just as important—where we hope it will go in the future. Oregon Stories will distribute tool kits to communities to collect stories in a variety of forms—oral histories, photographs, essays, and more. The best of the Oregon Stories will become Oregon Minutes (below), and all of the stories will be saved and eventually stored at the Oregon State Archives.
Oregon Minutes will be a brief, daily feature on the state's history, ideas, and people. To reach the broadest audience, Oregon Minutes will be broadcast by television and radio sponsors and printed in newspapers throughout the state.
The Children’s Future Vision* art project is an idea in progress. Oregon 150 wants to engage school kids civically and to create a durable work of art inspired by the hopes and dreams of Oregon’s youth. An Oregon Dreams Blog will be established on Oregon150.org to encourage children to tell us what they want for their future. Artists will then use their dreams as a source of artistic material.
Travel Oregon 150* will be a joint project with Travel Oregon where we encourage Oregonians to break out of their daily routine and get out and see the diverse landscapes, people, and places of their home state.

Besides the projects it will host, Oregon 150 is encouraging communities and organizations throughout the state to plan their own sesquicentennial activities. Already the planning organization has heard of so many exciting projects in the works: the Oregon Library Association’s Oregon Reads program; a folk life festival at Champoeg; and the Oregon Encyclopedia of History and Culture, among many, many more. A Partners Program is in development through which organizations will be able to request that their sesquicentennial project becomes an “official” Oregon 150 project. The form will be available online at Oregon150.org.

*These names may change

About Oregon 150: On March 13, 2007, Gov. Ted Kulongoski launched preparations for the 150th anniversary of Oregon’s admittance into the Union. The celebration will begin February 14, 2009 and last through the fall of 2009. “The sesquicentennial will be a unique opportunity to honor our past and all of the people who created the quilt of natural beauty, urban and rural communities, diverse economy, and original thinking that we call Oregon,” the Governor said. To prepare for Oregon’s 150th birthday, the Governor created Oregon 150, a nonprofit organization, led by motivated citizen volunteers from across the state serve as its Board of Directors. The mission of Oregon 150 is to inspire people across the state to remember, experience, and celebrate Oregon and, together, create a robust and sustainable future. The sesquicentennial will involve Oregonians from all walks of life -- all ages, income levels, and ethnic backgrounds, new and longtime residents, rural and urban. For more info visit http://www.oregon150.org.

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