Let’s face it: Occupy Portland (and the greater national movement for that matter) is facing a Public Relations crisis. There are simply too many people unengaged with us while too little word being spread about us as we embark on our 2nd year. And it certainly doesn’t help that the corporate media would falsely label us as “dead”. But with an office space, phone, and 24/7 small-scale “occupation” and vigil at City Hall of 10 months, it’s clear that we have a real, sustaining future for our Portland area citizens. But how could they know?

That is why we are launching a new advertisement campaign to raise awareness ourselves and provide opportunity where none has been before. Our goal is to raise $1,885 (with taxes and fees by Indiegogo, that gives us $1,750) to establish 25 “Michalangelo” ceiling ads inside TriMet buses and MAX lines to last us about 4 weeks.

We believe that riders of public transportation are the perfect target audience to spread the message of Occupy. With the working class, disengaged youth, student, eco-minded and elderly populations all diverging on the same vehicles, we see true untapped potential (or at least sympathy) when we make our presence known to them. We highly anticipate increased traffic of all levels (web, office, General Assembly) through our campaign, as well as maybe some reactions by fellow riders and drivers.

The fun does not stop here: share this campaign far and wide to your friends and family. Connect with us through our main website, check us out at our office at St. Francis Parish, 1131 SE Oak St., Portland, OR 97214, or give us a call at 971-258-1006. Take our online survey by going to tolu.na/Nlr86d And if you have any questions, feel free to email us at info@occupyportland.org.

Starting at 5pm, we will be in the park congregating, enjoying some refreshments and engaging in some fun activities. Then from 7-10pm, we will be moving into the dining hall for tabling, door prizes, cake and a performance from The TREE Institute.

The Open House will provide opportunities for the greater community to hear about the successes and challenges that Occupy has faced over the past year, as well as network with community organizations, and learn how to get more involved.  We hope you can join us!

Please contact opdxevents@gmail.com if:

• you are interested in being involved in the planning of the evening
• your group or organization is interested in hosting an information table
• your business or individual creative talents are interested in donating items for a raffle/silent auction
• you have any general questions about the evening