Sunday, Aug. 21, marked the third annual Portland Challenge, the Willamette River ritual and fundraiser for the House of Peace and Love Orphanage project in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Participants met at the Slammer Tavern in Southeast Portland to don life jackets, sign an official manifest and witness Gothic Outhouse performing on the roof of the neighborhood bar.
This year's official "challenge" was to travel from the Slammer to the west bank of the Willamette River without using money, motors or bridges. One hundred and eighty two Portland Challengers paraded down to the Eastside Esplanade for the river crossing. Approximately 160 participants swam across the Willamette to Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The other Challengers forded the Willamette on canoes, kayaks, rowboats and inflatable rafts. There were also two homemade vessels used in the river crossing: one was an outrigger bathtub of sorts and the other was constructed of cross beams and Culligan water jugs.
Following the river crossing, there was a community block party/celebration on Southwest Ankeny Street between Second and Third avenues. Beer was donated by the New Old Lompoc. Dan & Louis Oyster Bar shucked more than 200 bivalves on the street. Valentine's sandwich shop built the longest sandwich in Portland History and live music was provided by Karaoke from Hell.
All in all, participants and event organizers agreed the Third Annual Portland Challenge was the best Portland Challenge ever. More than $3,000 was raised on Sunday alone for the House of Peace and Love Orphanage project, a unique collaboration between Portlanders and Tanzanians that aims to provide orphans and street children with stable homes, as well as build a cultural bridge between Portland and Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. More than $7,000 has been raised over the course of the summer via various other Portland Challenge events.
Portland Challenge organizers have an even longer, more challenging event planned for 2006 to travel from Council Crest to Mount Tabor without money, motors or bridges. The event will continue to be a fundraiser for the House of Peace and Love and will center on crossing the Might Willamette River. Challenge organizers were especially enthusiastic about the homemade crafts used in this year's event.