S

During the month of October, Redmond merchants get into the spirit of the season and “scare up” both business and money for local nonprofits and fundraisers for Redmond schools by participating in a festive scarecrow decorating contest.

The fun began about six years ago, when former Redmond business owner Cynthia Claridge was brainstorming about how to increase business by attracting Redmond residents to the downtown area. She thought that a fun and creative fall activity, coupled with a fundraiser, would be the ticket. Familiar with Seattle’s “Pigs on Parade” event — where sculptures of pigs are decorated like giant piggy banks to raise money for a nonprofit — she came up with the idea for a scarecrow contest. Five years later, the contest is going strong, with 35 businesses participating in last year’s event.

“This event is really growing,” said Karen Sande, events director for the Redmond Chamber of Commerce & CVB. “Last year, we had people come from the Bend area to see all of the scarecrows, shop in the downtown stores and eat at our restaurants. Over the years, the event has truly evolved and the creativity with the scarecrows continues to amaze.”

“This is a very good, positive thing and provides great decorations for the holiday,” said Bern Thiesen, manager of the Printing Post and former director of the Redmond Downtown Association. “The contest is a good fundraiser for nonprofits that don’t always get a lot of exposure. The business owners like working with the nonprofits; it’s a way for them to give back.”

The way the contest works is simple: downtown businesses are contacted by the Redmond Chamber of Commerce & CVB during the late summer each year about participating in the contest. They are given a list of possible nonprofits to sponsor, or they can pick their own. Each business pays $30 to participate and receives a base of the scarecrow, which includes the head, arms and body.

Once the business decides on which nonprofit or school fundraiser they will sponsor, they give the scarecrow base to the nonprofit to decorate however they wish. The decorated scarecrow then goes back to downtown Redmond and is displayed prominently in front of the sponsoring business, along with a bucket to collect tickets from people casting votes for their favorite scarecrow.

Anyone can purchase tickets to cast votes. Tickets are 50 cents each and are available for purchase through each of the participating businesses. Voters can cast as many votes as they wish throughout the month of October, and all proceeds from the tickets in each scarecrow’s bucket go directly to the nonprofit that the scarecrow represents. The two scarecrows with the most number of tickets at the end of the month win the money initially paid by the merchants to enter the contest — which is typically at least $525 each — and that money also goes to the nonprofit represented by those winning scarecrows.

“Last year, $4,123 was raised for 35 wonderful nonprofits,” said Sande.

The contest has become competitive, with organizations creating elaborate scarecrow designs that are often themed to reflect the nonprofit they represent.

“For the past couple of years, the Ridgeview High School Lacrosse team has had a scarecrow in front of Paulina Springs Books (which is now Herringbone Books),” said Sande. The scarecrow was decorated like a giant raven (the school’s mascot) wearing a purple lacrosse jersey and white shorts. A helmet topped the scarecrow, and two lacrosse sticks were used for its legs.

Last year, however, Sande said, Ridgeview faced some healthy competition when the Redmond High School Lacrosse team also participated and had a scarecrow in front of Wild Ride Brewing.

“Throughout the month, the top ticket sales kept going back and forth between the two scarecrows,” said Sande. “It was so much fun to watch and see the parents of each team and their classmates coming to vote for their favorite team.” In the end, Redmond High School won the contest by 181 tickets. They had 2,460 tickets and Ridgeview had 2,279. “It was a great event for both of these schools, as they won first and second place,” said Sande.

Other downtown businesses and nonprofits that participated with notable entries last year included AK’s Tea Room, which sponsored the VFW and its war hero scarecrow; and Brian Elder State Farm, which sponsored the Redmond Library and its scarecrow, decorated like “Jake” from State Farm. Other partnerships included Brightside Animal Shelter at Green Plow Coffee Roasters; Opportunity Foundation at Oishi Japanese restaurant; Redmond Friends of K-9 at Red Martini Wine Bar & Grill; and Sparrow Club at Redmond Antique Mall on 5th Street. Scarecrows have been decorated to represent the Oregon Ducks, the Beavers, cheerleaders, a Geisha, James Bond, “Scarecrow” from the “Wizard of Oz,” zombies, scary scarecrows with pumpkin heads and much more.

As the 2016 scarecrow contest draws closer, maps with business names, locations and names of the nonprofits they are sponsoring will be available at all participating businesses and online at www.visitredmondoregon.com.