April 2021 Newsletter

Dear First name / Friend,

This month we are welcoming back the sun, several new Chamber Members, and looking forward to hosting some safe in-person events this year!

Be sure to grab the opportunity to apply for RTMP Grant $$ this month, get your local EVENT listed on the Chamber Calendar, and/or get your BUSINESS listed in one of the 4 Eugene Magazine online Guides before their Summer issue comes out (details below). 

And as usual, read to the end to get an update on this years Headwaters Harvest Festival, garden tips and how you can get FREE local seeds!

Don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions! (reply or email me at support@oakridgechamber.com)

what's new

Let's WELCOME our latest OW Chamber Members/Renewals!

Oakridge-Westfir Tree Planting Festival

Raincrow Botanicals

Oakridge Pharmacy

3 Legged Crane Pub & Brewhouse

Alpine Stream Construction

Oakridge Disc Golf Club

Eugene Magazine

Coming up at the end of the month is the 2021 OW Tree Planting Festival from April 30-May 2… a hybrid event this year!

tourism & marketing updates

There will be an Oakridge-Westfir photoshoot done by the Willamette Valley Visitors Association (WVVA) on Sunday, April 18th and models are needed! Please contact Grace Kaplovitz at gracekaplowitz@ci.oakridge.or.us if you are interested.

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As the rate of Covid infections across the state is declining and more vaccines are being administered, we are hopeful that safe and well managed events will be able to return to our communities. We invite you to submit your locally based event to the Oakridge Westfir Area Chamber calendar, the link is below.

If you are not yet finished with your planning, we understand! The link will be there when you are ready to release the details of your event and begin registration or ticket sales. The information you submit will be reviewed prior to publishing and we will contact you if information is missing.

Submit your free Chamber Calendar event listing here.

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Eugene Magazine is expanding their online Guides, and a basic listing for your Business is FREE! Currently Oakridge & Westfir have zero listings on this popular magazine's site, and we are missing out on their 35,300 digital readership. If you are a Lane County Business Owner, you can SUBMIT your details to get a listing in one of four categories:

Dining, Retail, Services or Recreation!

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>> GRANT APPLICATION OPPORTUNITY <<

The City of Oakridge is accepting applications thru April 30th for the 

Rural Tourism Marketing Program (RTMP) Grant Funds

The city will use these funds to promote tourism to the Oakridge area, and the focus on allocating these funds are as follows:

- attracting visitors to the area

- the length of stay of visitors

- county wide visitation

- return visits

APPLY HERE

https://www.ci.oakridge.or.us/administrativeservices/page/rural-tourism-marketing-program

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The City of Oakridge also submitted a grant proposal to the Travel Oregon Competitive Grant program recently for signage & wayfinding. Many thanks to all of you who supported the process and/or wrote letters of support! 

Want to be featured like this in our monthly newsletter, on our website and social media? It's a membership perk - to become a member click HERE

get listed on Google!

Did you know that Google MAPS and listings are the #1 way new customers find local businesses to visit?

Update or create your free Google listing now. Here's HOW.

Chamber Members can get one-one support for setting up a Google My Business listing, or use a video tutorial to DIY. (click the orange button to watch our current fave video now)

Want to be featured like this in our monthly newsletter, on our website and social media? It's a membership perk - to become a member click HERE

eat. forage. grow.

🌿 In the garden… everything is blooming or budding, but we could still have some frosty nights ahead this month, so consider waiting to plant your more delicate seeds outdoors.

🌿 Donate some SEEDS to help sustain and grow our awesome Seed Bank at the Oakridge Library.

Visit the website to check inventory (click above)

Library is NOW OPEN 1-5pm MWF & 9am-5pm T/Th

🌿 The Headwaters Harvest Festival UPDATE 🌿

Do you have a skill or a passion for food, foraging, wildcrafting, gardening or farming? We would love to feature a workshop, tutorial or farm tour from you in our next online fall festival. We are now accepting applications for 2021 presenters (CLICK here).

Stay tuned for more next month!

Our Best,

- your ALL-Volunteer Oakridge/Westfir Chamber Board of Directors

PS - This newsletter is a free monthly resource, but you can go deeper and get involved by joining the O/W Chamber - individuals, non-profits and businesses are all welcome. Please consider becoming a member today.

PPS - We'd love to have you in our network! If you're reading this online or someone forwarded this to you, make sure you are subscribed to this monthly email newsletter by CLICKING HERE!

If you prefer NOT to get this monthly newsletter, but you DO want to stay on our email list for occasional membership announcements, grant opportunites and urgent community news, you can reply to this email with UNSUB in the subject line, and we'll take you off the newsletter but keep you in our system.