Beartown 17: Bearpocalypse

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Map of Portland GLBT Venues

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R.B. Hiatt Scholarship Fund Package Discount

Oregon Bears offers the R.B. Hiatt Scholarship, a 25% event package discount for persons on fixed or limited incomes due to medical issues. The limited funding is available on a first come first served basis. Click here for the R.B. Hiatt Scholarship application. Further instructions are on the application.

Celebrate the End of the World with the Oregon Bears!

The current year is the end of the Mayan calendar, and some say the end of civilization itself. What better way to celebrate the occasion than to spend a beautiful summer weekend in Portland with the friendliest bears on Earth?

Join us for Beartown 17: Bearpocalypse! We have more parties, more men, and more activities to choose from. Your weekend package includes more activities and entitles you to more privileges and discounts. It’s all bigger and better than ever. But we are still limiting numbers so that we maintain the warm and friendly atmosphere the Oregon Bears are so famous for.

Participants of BearTown 16: Bears in Bridgetown participated in a survey of what they liked the most and provided valuable feedback for this year’s planning committee. We took the suggestions seriously and have organized an amazing weekend.

Some of the favorite events of past years are returning (Cheers, Cheese & Chocolates; Shed the Shirt T-Shirt Exchange). Some events have new venues (Bears at the Baths moves to Hawks, Portland’s new bathhouse; the UnderBear Dance moves to a Moroccan-themed vintage ballroom). New activities include a tour of local distilleries, a walk across the river to Portland’s Saturday Market with its arts and crafts and great food, and an exotic and erotic after-hours Mayan-themed party where a virgin may be sacrificed. (Wish us luck finding a bear who’s a virgin, right?)

Advance Registration Opens Feb. 1

Online registration for weekend passes opens February 1. Passes are $100 for Oregon Bears members ($125 for non-members) until April 30. On May 1, the price increases to $115 ($140 for non-members). We sell out every year, so register early to make sure you don’t miss out.

"The Little Bear Run with the Big Bear Run Feel" Has a Charitable Purpose

BearTown is sponsored by the Oregon Bears, a social, fraternal, and charitable organization and the largest bear club in the United States. This year the BearTown committee selected the Oregon Safe Schools and Communities Coalition (OSSCC) as beneficiary of the funds raised from our BearTown events.

OSSCC “seeks to create safe schools and communities where every family can belong, every educator can teach, and every child can learn regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.” This wonderful community-based group prepares people from rural, suburban, and urban areas of Oregon to put together and present workshops that address bullying and other health and safety needs of LGBT youth and families. Visit their web site, www.oregonsafeschools.org, to learn more about their activities.

Watch for opportunities throughout BearTown weekend to help us raise funds for this fine organization: raffle ticket sales, direct donations, silent auction, a massage therapist, the Bear Market, and many more events contribute directly to OSSCC and its work.