Portland Timbers, Thorns FC help raise over $46,000 for Eagle Creek fire-response efforts

PORTLAND, Ore. – Through the sale of exclusive, co-branded scarf designs, the Portland Timbers, Portland Thorns FC and their fans helped raise over $46,000 for the Eagle Creek fire-response efforts throughout the month of September, it was announced today. The funds were raised through online sales of two Timbers and Thorns FC scarf designs, commemorating Multnomah Falls and the Columbia River Gorge.

The commemorative scarves were made available for preorder from Sept. 9-24, with all of the proceeds from sales of the two designs benefitting the Friends of the Columbia Gorge, a Pacific Northwest-based organization committed to protecting the resources of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. 

Beginning on Sept. 2, the Eagle Creek fire dealt a severe blow to the Columbia River Gorge, upending communities and scorching over 48,000 acres of healthy forests. Friends of the Columbia Gorge will use the funds to focus on three fronts: supporting the natural recovery of Gorge forests, rebuilding burned trails and creating new ones, and assisting the economic recovery of Gorge communities. 

"We're humbled by the outpouring of support from Timbers and Thorns FC fans and the many other individuals and businesses who have proactively organized fundraisers to help support our efforts to ensure the Gorge remains wild and beautiful for generations to come," said Kevin Gorman, executive director for Friends of the Columbia Gorge. "The Gorge is a resilient place, and today's gift from the Timbers and Thorns FC is both a demonstration of how deeply people love the Gorge and a testament to how a community can pull together in the face of adversity."

Founded in 1980, Friends of the Columbia Gorge is a nonprofit organization with over 7,000 members dedicated to protecting and enhancing the scenic, natural, cultural, and recreational resources of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Friends of the Columbia Gorge maintains offices in Portland as well as locations in Hood River, Ore., and Washougal, Wash.