West Linns' Ugly Holiday Sweater Dash has some hardy dashers even in downpour rain

(Cindy's Blog about Portland Real Estate & Stuff)

Today was the Ugly Holiday Sweater Dash and Parade in West Linn, Oregon. I woke to the sound of downpouring rain and thought maybe this would be cancelled...yeah right..this is Portland! NOTHING gets cancelled in the rain. They did say we were in for 1-3" today.

I got to Field's Bridge Park around 8 AM and there were already several volunteers all huddled under this pop up waiting for our assignments and for runners of the dash to come and sign up or sign in. The gal in charge,Bridget Saladino, gave the instructions and we were handed those cool glow orange vests and a map of the diverting routes for cars. I had a cushy street to "watch traffic" as it was my own. Yeah!

I watched as they passed me..soggy but willing either running or walking...I gotta give it to all those that participated! All done I went up to the town to see if I was needed to do anything further. This is where I should have just stayed home as I seemed to turn into a walking clutz!

Getting out of my car, my unslickered foot sunk ankle deep into a huge puddle then while walking through the town of Historic West Linn, I walked passed a sidewalk display of cookies and coffee at Salute Cafe Italiano and apparently my umbrella caught hold of a coffee urn and knocked it over...grrr...I should have gotten back into my car..LOL.  I did feel a bit Inpector Clouseau-ish.

On the way back through town, the crowd was filling up along the sidewalks (ok, huddling under the eaves and overhangs) waiting for the parade to start. I had one stop before heading home...back to the scene of my umbrella hit and run. There standing by the cookie and coffee display was Dan Frenchko the owner. I offered to pay for any damage, and he was most gracious and simply said, "come in for dinner and that would be just fine"...then offered me some cookies. 

So, my day of volunteering was easy, just a couple of hours standing in the rain. I do know that these things have LOTS of people behind the scenes that work on them for months and many volunteers that give their time each week to the West Linn food pantry for where the money raised for this event went.

Good thing nothing stops in the rain here in Portland....