When the Eagle Creek Fire of 2017 burned over 50,000 acres of the Columbia River Gorge, Stand Together, the community outreach arm of the Portland Timbers and Thorns FC, mobilized the group’s most potent weapon: the club’s fanbase. With the proceeds from two scarves inspired by the Gorge, Stand Together was able to raise $103,718 to help the disaster’s relief efforts. The team’s fans responded to the call.
Two years later, those donations have evolved into a lasting effort, giving birth to a program that continues supporting the Gorge.
“The donation from the Timbers and Thorns helped fund the creation of our Public Land Stewardship program,” Kevin Gorman, Executive Director of Friends of the Columbia Gorge, told Stand Together earlier this year.