KEEN Celebrates Earth Day; Portland Surfrider Foundation Benefit

KEEN Inc. — a leader in hybrid outdoor performance and casual products, including footwear, socks and bags — is joining forces with Portland based Wend magazine to host a party benefiting the Portland chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. Festivities start at 6:30 pm, Tuesday, April 21 at KEEN corporate headquarters. The event will feature music by California based singer/songwriter Micah Wolf, presentations by leading environmentalists as well as beer and wine. Mayor Sam Adams, and several members of city council are expected to attend the event.

The Portland Chapter of Surfrider Foundation is currently working on the Portland, ‘Ban The Bag’ campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to ban the single use plastic shopping bag in order to prevent the damage that plastic causes in our watersheds, and ultimately our ocean. Portland sits one of the five major watersheds in the world and the refuse that is littered in Portland, often ends up in the watershed.



Special guests at the Earth Day celebration include Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins of California’s Algalita Marine Research Foundation (AMRF). Their current project, JUNKride, is a 2,000 mile bicycle journey from Vancouver, Canada to Tijuana, Mexico to raise awareness on floating plastic debris in the Pacific by informing educators, policymakers and the public. Starting at 7:00 pm, Marcus and Anna will be presenting JUNKride and the recent voyage, JUNKraft, where Marcus sailed from Long Beach to Hawaii via a region known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the North Pacific Gyre on a primitive craft made from 15,000 plastic bottles. The North Pacific Gyre is an area 500 miles west of San Francisco, where a plastic garbage patch, twice the size of the United States has formed.

In addition to Marcus and Anna, KEEN also welcomes Jessica Hamilton, Ocean Policy Advisor to Governor Ted Kulongoski, who will talk about The West Coast Governor’s agreement to reduce waste in watersheds, and work on refuse issues facing the west coast.

Event Details

Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Time: 6:30-9:00

Location: KEEN, 926 NW 13th Avenue, Portland

About KEEN

KEEN Inc., manufacturer of hybrid footwear, socks and bags, is an outdoor brand that delivers innovative hybrid products, enabling all outdoor enthusiasts to live an active lifestyle. Founded in 2003, KEEN was first recognized for its Newport sandal, which featured patented toe protection technology.



The company strives to demonstrate integrity and leadership, especially on social and environmental commitments, while promoting an inclusive outdoors community. Through its giving program Hybrid.Care, the company provides support to a variety of social and environmental organizations around the globe.

Based in Portland, Oregon, KEEN products are available in retail locations in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Central America, South America and Europe. To learn more, visit www.keenfootwear.com.