Portland, Oregon
Contact: Deborah Wakefield, 503.275.9795
deborah@travelportland.com

June 10, 2002

“Flight for Freedom” Tops List of Tourism Award Winners

Less than four weeks after the tragic events of September 11, nearly a thousand Oregonians – including Portland Mayor Vera Katz – boarded flights bound for New York, hoping to boost that city’s morale and pump desperately needed dollars into the area’s devastated economy. The airlift, called the “Flight for Freedom,” was the brainchild of Sho Dozono, a local business owner and civic leader who was deeply moved by the plight of New York’s hospitality industry.

Dozono’s compassionate efforts to heed former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s call to help his city “move on economically and emotionally” recently earned Dozono the Portland visitor industry’s highest honor. In recognition of his immense contribution, Dozono was honored with the Portland Award, which annually recognizes the greatest overall contribution to the visitor industry. The award will be formally presented on June 20 at the Portland Oregon Visitors Association’s (POVA) 23rd Annual Awards Breakfast at the Oregon Convention Center.

According to Dozono, the “Flight for Freedom sent a message to the world that Americans will not be cowed by atrocity. This was a call to action for people across the nation to get America back on the move – physically, emotionally and financially.”

“Following the attacks, the travel industry suffered significant economic losses,” said Joe D’Alessandro, POVA’s president and CEO. “We needed to do something to help restore confidence in the travel industry, which accounts for 7.8 million American jobs and $582 billion in economic impact. The Flight for Freedom helped encourage people to start traveling again for both business and vacation purposes. Travel Portland is very proud that Oregonians were behind this effort.”

The efforts of Ecotrust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and nurturing a conservation mentality/economy in the North American coastal region from San Francisco to Anchorage, will also be recognized on June 20 with POVA’s “It’s not easy being green” Award. The award is given each year to an individual or association that fosters environmentally friendly business practices or programs that enhance Oregon’s exceptional quality of life.

Ecotrust, which is headquartered in Portland, lives and breathes its philosophy of conservation and environmental stewardship, going so far as to “recycle” an entire 1895 Pearl District warehouse. Using sustainable, green building techniques, Ecotrust transformed the warehouse into the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center. The building now houses the Ecotrust offices and a variety of other businesses with ties to conservation, organic foods, and other natural or conservation-oriented products and services. This microcosm of environmentally focused businesses and agencies reflects perfectly Portland’s nationally recognized image as a clean, green city that treasures its natural resources.

One of Oregon’s most important tourism resources, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, will be honored with the Gene Leo Rose City Award, which recognizes significant contributions to the promotion of tourism in Oregon. OSF, which was established in 1935, has grown to an internationally acclaimed cultural attraction that attracts thousands of visitors to Oregon each year. Currently ranked as the nation’s oldest and largest professional theater company, the Tony Award-winning OSF has played a critical role in elevating Oregon’s reputation as an arts destination.

As important as arts travelers filling theater seats are convention delegates filling Oregon’s meeting facilities. This year’s honored group is Sweet Adelines International, which met in Portland in October 2001. With September 11 still weighing heavily on peoples’ minds, Sweet Adelines refused to cancel its conference. And with only a slight decrease in attendance, the delegates of this highly respected worldwide organization of female singers converged on Portland. Attendees held true to the Sweet Adelines’ motto, “Harmonize the World,” by holding impromptu concerts at the visitor information center, in hotel lobbies, even on MAX. for their perseverance, the group will receive the Twin Spires Award.

President’s Awards will be given to several entities that have made valued contributions to the visitor industry. Among those recipients are the Portland Streetcar, whose sleek Euro-designed trains provide a valuable link for visitors between downtown Portland, the Pearl District and Northwest Portland; the Oregon Film & Video Office, whose work with film companies reminds movie-goers of the beauty to be found in Oregon; 1st Thursday Galleries, whose monthly open-house events draw art lovers from across the Pacific Northwest; and Airport MAX, whose train-to-plane light rail connection is the first on the West Coast.

The Travel Portland Awards Breakfast is an annual event that recognizes significant contributions to Oregon’s $6 billion per year tourism industry. The awards are hosted by POVA, the official destination marketing organization for the city of Portland. Its mission is to strengthen the region’s economy by marketing the metropolitan Portland area as a preferred destination for meetings, conventions and leisure travel.

FACT SHEET – Travel Portland 23rd Annual Awards Breakfast

Quick Facts

What: Portland Oregon Visitors Association’s 23rd Annual Awards Breakfast
Time: Doors open at 7 a.m.; breakfast program from 7:30-9 a.m.
Date: Thursday, June 20, 2002
Where: Oregon Convention Center
Guest Speaker: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tim Eagan, author of Lasso the Wind: Away to the New West
Media: Media are invited to attend at no charge. If you wish to eat breakfast, please RSVP to Vanessa Herndon at 503.275.9768 or vanessa@travelportland.com. A complimentary breakfast ticket will be waiting for you at the registration table.

Award Winners

Portland Award
Top award for overall contribution to the promotion of the visitor industry
Sho Dozono – “Flight for Freedom”

“It’s not easy being green” Award
Recognizes environmentally friendly business practices that enhance Oregon’s exceptional quality of life
Ecotrust

Gene Leo Rose City Award
Recognizes significant contribution to the promotion of tourism
Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Twin Spires Award
Recognizes significant contribution to the promotion of convention business
Sweet Adelines International

President’s Awards
For valued contributions to the visitor industry
Airport MAX
1st Thursday Galleries
Oregon Film & Video Office
Portland Streetcar