OPI Work Day - Operation Franklin High

OPI Work Day - Franklin High School

Friends

In cooperation with the Timbers Army and Portland Public Schools, OPI supporting repair efforts at two local high schools. These events are a little different than our usual park fix-ups, so be sure and check out the details below.

• Who is this for? This event is initially reserved for members of the Timbers Army Football Club to help them satisfy their volunteer service requirements. Franklin High School is being repaired by members of OGFC.
• When is it? Saturday, June 8 from 12:00 to 3:00 (immediately after the OGFC Gold match).
• How long will it take? Plan on about 3 hours.
• Where is it? Franklin High School is at 5405 SE Woodward St (map)
• How do I participate? Please sign up on this Eventbrite page (free). By volunteering, you also agree to OPI’s liability waiver.
• What should I bring? In addition to dressing properly for the weather and bringing your own water bottle, we’ll need some people to bring some equipment. We’ll be trimming back some overgrown vines and bushes so if you have some hand branch trimmers/clippers, please bring them. Ideally, we’d also like to have one or two gas powered or cordless edge trimmers as well.

Thanks so much for your help. If you can’t help out with this event, keep an eye on our blog for information about other volunteer opportunities.

OPI Work Day - Operation Marshall High

Friends

In cooperation with the Timbers Army and Portland Public Schools, OPI supporting repair efforts at two local high schools. These events are a little different than our usual park fix-ups, so be sure and check out the details below.

• Who is this for? This event is initially reserved for members of the Timbers Army Football Club to help them satisfy their volunteer service requirements.
• When is it? Sunday, June 2 from 9:00 to noon.
• How long will it take? Plan on about 3 hours.
• Where is it? Marshall High School is at 3905 SE 91st Ave (map)
• How do I participate? Please sign up on this Eventbrite page (free). By volunteering, you also agree to OPI’s liability waiver.
• What should I bring? In addition to dressing properly for the weather and bringing your own water bottle, we’ll need some people to bring some equipment. We’ll be trimming back some overgrown vines and bushes so if you have some hand branch trimmers/clippers, please bring them. Ideally, we’d also like to have one or two gas powered or cordless edge trimmers as well. We’ll also be prepping and painting the steel goals on site. We’ll be supplying paint and related supplies, but having one or two cordless orbital sanders to take some of the rust off before painting would make a big difference. If you can bring any of these heavier pieces of equipment, please email Scott Swearingen or your team manager and let them know what you can bring. We don’t want to end up with dozens of gas powered weed eaters.

Thanks so much for your help. If you can’t help out with this event, you might be able to help out with a similar event on June 8 at Franklin High School. Check here for details.

OPI Work Day - Operation Willamette Park - May 11

Friends!

OPI is back for our second event of the season with repairs at Willamette Park. As in the past, PPR staff will be directing operations and lending a hand as we improve 2 pitches. We kick off promptly at 8:30 a.m. We'd love to have you out!

• When is it? Saturday, May 11. Work begins at 8:30 a.m. Arriving on time is especially important so we can make sure everyone gets the orientation provided by PPR.
• Where is it? We’ll be at Willamette Park which is located at about 7100 SW Macadam. You can access Willamette Park off Macadam from Nebraska, Nevada, Miles Place, and Beaver Ave.
• How do I participate? You must register on this Eventbrite page (free). We need 50 volunteers for this event. As usual, you'll be asked to sign the City's liability waiver when you arrive. By volunteering, you also agree to OPI's liability waiver.
• What kind of work will we be doing? If you have been to one of our park events before, expect more of the same. We'll do stuff like spread fresh soil to level out the ruts in the pitch, lay seed, paint goal equipment, restore goal mouths and repair sprinklers. 
• What should I bring? Work clothes, proper footwear (you may spend some time on the business end of a shovel) and some work gloves will be all you need. Wear layers if it looks to be cool - sunscreen if the sun is baking. All other supplies and equipment will be provided by PPR.
• How long will it take? Our experience with these events tells us that we should be done in 3 - 4 hours. This is a big park, but many hands make light work.

If you can't make this event, keep an eye out for our other events this season which we hope to have June 22 and August 31. Thanks for volunteering!

Register now on Eventbrite

OPI Work Day: Operation Lents Park - April 20

Friends of OPI!

We are back for our first event of the season with field work at Lents Park. As in the past, PPR staff will be directing operations and lending a hand as we improve 3 pitches. We kick off promptly at 8:30 a.m. We'd love to have you out for our first event of 2013.

• When is it? Saturday, April 20. Work begins at 8:30 a.m.
• Where is it? We’ll be at Lents Park which is located at SE 92nd Ave and Holgate Blvd.
• How do I participate? You must register on this Eventbrite page (free). We need 50 volunteers for this event. As usual, you'll be asked to sign the City's liability waiver when you arrive. By volunteering, you also agree to OPI's liability waiver.
• What kind of work will we be doing? If you have been to one of our park events before, expect more of the same. We'll do stuff like spread fresh soil to level out the ruts in the pitch, lay seed, paint goal equipment, restore goal mouths and repair sprinklers. 
• What should I bring? Work clothes, proper footwear and some work gloves will be all you need. Wear layers if it looks to be cool - sunscreen if the sun is baking. All other supplies and equipment will be provided by PPR.
• How long will it take? Our experience with these events tells us that we should be done in approximately 4 hours. This is a big park, but many hands make light work.

If you can't make this event, keep an eye out for our other events this season on May 11, June 22 and August 31.

Save the Dates: 2013 Workdays Scheduled

Hello All- With the season underway it'll soon be time to lend a hand to improve our City's parks. We have four dates lined up for 2013. We'll visit some new locations and return to update some of our past work. We've avoided all Timbers home game days this year so we hope to see you all out in the parks with us this season.

As before, we'll need 40-50 volunteers for each of our events. We typically start around 8:30 and get done in 3-4 hours. We work rain or shine (though we've been pretty lucky so far). We'll open up volunteer opportunities 3-4 weeks before each event and coordinate all volunteer registrations through Eventbrite. Full details will be provided when the dates get closer - for now, all we want you to do is save the dates!

• Saturday, April 20. Park improvement, 3 fields.
• Saturday, May 11. Park improvement, 2 fields.
• Saturday, June 22. Park improvement, 2 fields.
• Saturday, August 31. Park improvement, 3 fields.

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 (and thanks!).

Look forward to working with you in 2013!

OPI Workday - Knott Park - September 22

Friends of OPI!

We are back for our last event of the summer with field work at Knott Park. As in the past, PPR staff will be directing operations and lending a hand. We'll have the work completed and you well on your way to make it to the watering hold of your choice to watch the Timbers take on RSL at 5:00. Sound good? Details below.

• When is it? Saturday, September 22. Work begins at 8:30 a.m.
• Where is it? We’ll be at Knott Park which is located at NE 117th Ave and Knott Strreet (map).
• How do I participate? You must sign up on our Eventbrite page (free). We can accomodate up to 50 participants for this event. As usual, you'll be asked to sign the City's liability waiver when you arrive. By volunteering, you also agree to OPI's liability waiver.
• What kind of work will we be doing? If you have been to one of our park events before, expect more of the same. We'll do stuff like spread fresh soil to level out the ruts in the pitch, lay seed, paint goal equipment, restore goal mouths and repair sprinklers. 
• What should I bring? Work clothes, proper footwear and some work gloves will be all you need. Wear layers if it looks to be cool - sunscreen if the sun is baking. All other supplies and equipment will be provided by PPR.
• How long will it take? Our experience with these events tells us that we should be done in approximately 4 hours. This is a big park, but many hands make light work.

If you can't make this event, we are trying to put together something for mid-fall. We are also already hard at work planning next summer's events.

OPI Workday - Clinton Park - August 25

Friends and Supporters!

We are back into the parks again for our next event with a field restoration at Clinton Park. For this event we’ll be getting some volunteer help from our friends at Mt. Tabor Soccer Club. As in the past, PPR staff will be directing operations and lending a hand. We'll have the work completed and you well on your way to make it to the Whitecaps match at 6:00. Sound good? Details below.

• When is it? Saturday, August 25. Work begins at 8:30 a.m.
• Where is it? We’ll be at Clinton Park which is located at 55th Ave. & Woodward Street next to Franklin High School (map).
• How do I participate? You must sign up on our Eventbrite page (free). We can accomodate up to 50 participants for this event. As usual, you'll be asked to sign the City's liability waiver when you arrive. By volunteering, you also agree to OPI's liability waiver.
• What kind of work will we be doing? If you have been to one of our park events before, expect more of the same. We'll spread fresh soil to level out the ruts in the pitch, lay seed, paint goal equipment, restore goal mouths and repair sprinklers.
• What should I bring? Work clothes, proper footwear and some work gloves will be all you need. All other supplies and equipment will be provided by PPR. Don’t forget your sunscreen!
• How long will it take? Our experience with these events tells us that we should be done in approximately 4 hours. You'll be on your way by lunch time.

Looking forward to having some Timbers Army meet up with Mt. Tabor Soccer families and kids. Mt. Tabor Soccer Club has been a huge supporter of OPI and this is a pitch that they use for their youth programs. So let's get it tuned up for their fall season! If you can’t make this event, be sure to keep September 22 on your calendar and keep an eye on our blog for more information about other OPI events and activities.

Upcoming Event! Bloomington Park - June 30, 2012

Hey Everyone

Its time once again to grab your work gloves and join OPI to help make our City’s pitches a better place to enjoy the beautiful game. For our first event of the summer we’ll be fixing up the full sized grass pitch at Bloomington Park in Southeast Portland on Saturday, June 30. Full details below:

• Where is it? Bloomington Park. SE 100th Avenue & Steele Street (map)
• When is it? Saturday, June 30. Work begins at 8:30 a.m. Please arrive on time as you’ll need to sign the City’s liability waiver before beginning work.
• How do I participate? You MUST sign up on our Eventbrite page (free). For this first event, we’re capping registration at 50 participants. Also, you must have previously signed up on OPI’s mailing list or be members of the 107ist. Anyone who will be meaningfully digging needs to register. Kids who won’t be working do not need to register (but feel free to bring them out).
• What kind of work will we be doing? The work will be similar to what we did at Ed Benedict last summer. Work will include things like moving soil to fill the ruts and uneven spots in the pitch, leveling the surface, overseeding the soil and excavation and repair of the park’s irrigation system. PPR personnel will be on hand to supervise and direct the work. We also hope to have some lighter duties available (cleaning and painting the goals) for those who may not be able to dig.
• What should I bring? All tools will be provided by the City of Portland so leave your shovels and wheelbarrows at home. You should bring work gloves and appropriate footwaear. If it is cool, wear layers! If it is sunny, bring suncreen! We’ll have some family friendly beverages and small breakfasty items on hand.
• How long will it take? If you ask City personnel, our work rate is legendary. Expect 3–5 hours. We’ll be done in plenty of time to get you on your way to your favorite viewing location for Timbers at Colorado Rapids at 6:00 p.m.

Can’t make this one? No worries. We have 3 more events scheduled for this summer - be sure to add those dates to your calendar. Keep an eye on this space for more information and where/how to sign up. Questions? Drop us a line at volunteer [at] pitch-invasion [dot] org.

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!