The tournament will be held Thursday, July 22, 6:30pm at Another Round Bar & Grill (2155 NE Division St., Gresham, OR 97030).

Admission is free, with a suggested by in of $30 and re-buy of $20.

Even if you don’t play poker, there will be opportunities to participate in other games throughout the evening.

For more information, call Brianna Wecker or Brenda Felix at 503.405.9940.

We care a great deal about our local economy and want it to prosper in good times and bad.

That is why we are giving away an East County Stimulus. It’s our very own stimulus package for East Multnomah County.

Entering is Easy

Simply visit Enter to Win page and either fill our our online entry form or download our paper entry form, and you’ll be entered. You can enter once a day.

It’s that easy!

Spread the Word

Help spread the word about our contest by sharing this post with your family and friends, so they too can learn more about TryLocalFirst.org.

The contest runs from June 15th – July 25th.

The Kelly Creek, Mt. Hood and Powell Valley neighborhood associations are hosting a one-stop shopping East Gresham Community Information Fair. Get information on organizations and programs in the community.

Exhibitors include most departments from the city of Gresham, schools and service organizations. Invited guests include local, regional and state elected officials, and of course, Try Local First. Click here for more information.

The program will be promoted to our previous thousands of contestants who entered to win our two “$1,000 Shopping Sprees” (one in the Fall of 2008 and one in 2009) and last summer’s “Discover East County Packages”.

It will also be promoted locally by all Coalition Members of Try Local First with information regarding the contest being promoted in local newspaper and on the Try Local First contest page as well as the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce website and other Coalition members websites.

The promotion will begin in mid June and entries will be accepted for 30 days. Winners will be selected based on the previously selected guidelines and presented at the Center for the Arts Plaza “Street Dance” event the last weekend of July.

Those businesses that contribute prizes to the “East County Stimulus Package” will be listed on the Try Local First website and those that contribute prizes with a retail value of $100 or more will receive a link to their website, if requested. They will also be mentioned in as many promotional materials and presentations as possible.

The goal of the contest is to promote East County businesses as well as local events that contribute to the economic well being of our community.

The Home Show will be held June 11 and 12, 2010 at the Holiday Inn, 2725 NE Hogan Drive in Gresham. The event runs Friday, June 11 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Saturday, June 11 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Admission is $3.00 per adult or $2.00 with a donation to My Father’s House Community Shelter , and $2.00 per child age 6-12 or $1.00 with a donation to My Father’s House. Children 6 and under are free.

For more information, please contact i4 Marketing at 971.235.3120.

The Gresham Barlow Education Foundation presents the 2010 Bagels & Books event with Oregon author Phillip Margolin, New York Times best selling author of Gone, But Not Forgotten.

Phillip’s other books include:
Supreme Justice
Fugitive
Executive Privilege
Proof Positive
Lost Lake
Sleeping Beauty
Ties That Bind
The Associate
Wild Justice
The Undertaker’s Widow
The Burning Man
After Dark
Gone, But Not Forgotten
The Last Innocent Man
Heartstone

The event will be held at Grace Community Church, 800 SE Hogan in Gresham.

Please RSVP to attend this event by Friday May 21st to the Gresham Barlow Education Foundation at 503.766.0008 or info@gbefkids.org.

Check out the event sponsors:

• Jazzy Bagels
• Books 4 Giving
• Shammai Rockove, M.D.
• Honke Heating
• Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center
• Historic Downtown Gresham Kiwanis Club

The Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce and Try Local First will be hosting an Advanced Facebook class on Monday, May 17th.

The class will be held from 5:30-7:30 pm at Portland Adventist Elementary.

Class topics include:

• Internet marketing
• Strengthening your brand
• Increasing buzz about your business
• Driving traffic to your business
• Improving your social media presence

The class costs $25 for individuals who preregister or $30 at the door. Space is limited, so sign up today.

RSVP to Julie at the Gresham Chamebr at 503.665.1131 or julieh at greshamchamber dot org

Snacks and drinks will be provided.

Just show your key tag to the business sponsors listed on the web-site start saving money today and support your local businesses at the same time.

Shopping Spree Winner Gloria Smith with Try Local First's Bess Willis

Gloria Smith noticed the brightly green wrapped boxes in local stores last Christmas (2008) and she filled out a form and entered to win the local $1,000 Shopping Spree.

Then later on in the year she entered to win a Discover East County Package and when she heard the winners announced at the 4th of July Blue Lake Park Fireworks Event she did not hear her name but was impressed to see that yes someone did win and these Try Local First promotions were for real. So when she received the e-mail announcing the 2009 Shopping Spree Event she took the time to enter once again.

Life gets busy and Gloria was over halfway across the United States caring for a sister that was having eye surgery when she visited a local library to check her e-mail – yes, Gloria, there is a Santa Claus as what to her wondering eyes did appear an e-mail from Try Local First stating that she was the winner of the 2009 $1,000 Shopping Spree. Persistence does pay and a little good karma doesn’t hurt either.

Speaking of good karma and paying it forward, when asked what she intended to do with her Holiday Spree the first words out of her mouth were that she was going to her local Church and get some Angels off the tree – you see each Angel has a child’s name who needs a little something this Christmas and Gloria was happy to spend a portion of her $1,000 helping other less fortunate have a little brighter Christmas.

And, of course she intends to spend the entire $1,000 locally because she understands that will enable someone else to spend local and the circle of local economic health stays well and those locally in need are given assistance. Try Local First is truly a happy ending story that had no ending if we all make that extra effort to spend our resources in East County!

We feel the positive energy of people shopping local and taking care of those less fortunate in our community. The Try Local First slogan You Have the Power is truer now than ever.

During this holiday season consider the power you have to make a difference in our community. Local business are far more likely to help our schools, our sports teams, our soup kitchens, our homeless shelters than a business located online or out of state.

If local businesses are successful, a portion of their tax dollars come directly back to our community. So embrace your power and make this shopping season one of blessings for all in in our community.