What do you STAND for?

Last Saturday, the city of Portland converged on Pioneer Square to celebrate going “green.” Not green the color, or even green like the lush grass and forests that are found and enjoyed throughout the Pacific Northwest. A new allegorical green was the focus of the day, as trends and movement in sustainability and conservation were celebrated throughout the day.

Among the main highlights of the STAND Festival, which was sponsored and organized by Keen Footwear – a Patron Corporate Partner of Leave No Trace – was the recognition of Keen’s STAND contest winners. Last year, Keen launched STAND as a means to support people who are passionate, active and involved with making a difference around sustainability, through awarding substantial monetary grants. Leave No Trace’s Susy Alkaitis was chosen as a judge of this contest, and helped to select grant recipients alongside other notable figures making a difference for the environment.

In addition to the sublime summer weather that graced the event, the festival was truly a success due to the community of Portland that showed up in full force (which could have had something to do with the literal parade of enthusiastic Keen employees who took to the streets brandishing handmade posters for recycling, the environment and catchy limericks, leading people toward the event!). With the background beats of Danchambo to cruise around to, individuals checked out the projects of STAND winners, enjoyed hands on activities like sustainable art and Leave No Trace programs, hung out in the HybridLife Lounge, and enjoyed a recycled puppet show.

We’d like to thank Keen for inviting us to participate in the inaugural year of this event, and for their hospitality and entertainment while in the city of Portland!

Photo Credit: James Edward Mills, http://web.mac.com/nwsr8th1/Discussion/KEEN_Stand.html#28