Blog: Community

The days are getting shorter, and with the shift back to standard time, all of us at the office have complained more than once about the dark, dreary evening commute. It doesn’t help when the streets are clogged with fallen leaves and flooded with the rainwater from recent storms.

While we take our Vitamin D to stave off the lack of sunlight, and dig our raincoats and boots out of the back of the closets, one of the chief complaints we’re hearing is how difficult it is to navigate the narrow streets around our offices without experiencing a heart-stopping near-miss with a bicyclist. As determined as we all are to share the road and be supportive of cyclists who diligently brave all weather conditions to exercise while they commute, it is hard when we can’t see each other because of poor or nonexistent lighting, dark clothing, and no reflective gear.

Our leader, Liz, is never one to sit idly by, so recently she invested in a case of high-quality rear bicycle flashers – those really cool ones you see clipped to backpacks or bike helmets of the seasoned bicyclists around town. Our assignment: find cyclists who could benefit, and give them away. Pronto.

Staying true to our motto that "small change adds up," each of us attempted to do our part over the past couple weeks, with mixed success. Some of us just couldn’t find a subtle way to flag a stranger down and hand them a strange little box. Some of us worried about risking our own necks, jumping out of our vehicles in a busy street to get the attention of an understandably leery bike commuter. What’s the proper form of address for someone on a bike – "Hey, you – Biker?"

So far, only three of those fancy lights have made it to good homes. Yet, that’s three more bikes that have lights. We’re doing our part to help our streets get a little safer and prevent one of those future near-miss moments. It’s a step in the right direction, and step we’re glad to take.

Comment (0)

When you want to spread an important message, count on community members who care about your cause. That’s what we did with Go Pink in the Park, now in its second year. A partnership of Oregon Imaging Centers and the Eugene Emeralds, Go Pink in the Park raises funds for a good cause, increases awareness about breast cancer and encourages women to have their annual mammograms – a true win-win-win.

The goal? To raise $15,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a grassroots non-profit organization that’s leading the way in the fight against breast cancer. So far, people have donated almost $1,300 this year. And all of the proceeds stay in the community.

The fun part? Ems players wear pink jerseys at every Wednesday home game, which fans have an opportunity to win at the end of the season. We ordered 1,500 pink "Make time for the girls" T-shirts and gave away 500 at a special "Ladies Night." The rest go for $10 a piece. We also sell pink bracelets and offer baseball fans a chance to play "Homerun Derby" on a Nintendo Wii, which is given away at the end of the season.

The best part? People are talking, including the media. Before the first Go Pink game of the season, there were 21 media mentions! When you want to get a message across, take it to the people, make it fun, and give them a way to spread the word.

If you haven’t made it to a game, there’s still time. Game dates are as follows:

• Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 7:05 p.m. at Civic Stadium
• Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 7:05 p.m. at Civic Stadium
• Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 7:05 p.m. at Civic Stadium

See you at the park!

Comment (0)

We’re pumped about working with Seneca Sustainable Energy! It’s going to build a $45 million renewable heat and power facility, which will generate up to 18.8 megawatts of electricity and provide heat for Seneca Sawmill’s dry kilns. And, it continues Seneca’s commitment to fully use every log by fueling its boiler with byproducts from its mills and slash.

An article in today’s The Register-Guard describes the project and its benefits. Check it out!

Though there is some opposition, it is based on wanting the company to go beyond current standards. Seneca is already doing more than required, and is spending about one-quarter of the projects’ cost for pollution control technology.

Renewable, local energy! Way to go, Seneca!

Comment (0)

Watch The Register-Guard throughout the year to learn what our staff is up to in the community. We’re showcasing how each of us can all get involved and make our community even better.

We led off in January with Jeneca Jones, an account executive, who reads to students twice a week at Centennial Elementary in Springfield. Hey, if you can spare an hour a week, you can read to students, too. It’s proven to make a tremendous different in a child’s success in school. Check out: www.getsmartoregon.org

In February, we celebrated Oregon’s birthday and encouraged people to get involved. We know that small change adds up, so we asked our clients and vendors to help us create change for local charities by putting their spare change in a mason jar. In just one month, we raised almost $3,500 – one coin at a time. Yes, small change does add up.

March focuses on Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Production Manager Lindsey Greif and her grandmother encourage support this organization that addressing breast cancer at every stage –from the cause to the cures. You can learn more at: www.komenoregon.org

Here are some of the charities that benefited: Food for Lane County, Volunteers in Medicine, Looking Glass, CASA, and MDA.

Comment (0)