Outreach: Long Beach, New Orleans, Oakland, Seattle

Long Beach: Port’s New Sponsorship Policy Enhances focus on social responsibility and promoting Port’s message

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has updated the port’s sponsorship policy with the objective of bringing greater transparency and accessibility to the program.

The harbor department provides sponsorship funds to local groups for community functions and events to help inform residents about the Port of Long Beach. The new policy will continue that process with a greater focus on funding groups that make Long Beach a better place to live and work.

Going forward, community groups will be asked to submit sponsorship funding requests during two defined application periods each year. The first call for applications will be September 1 through October 2, 2015. The next call will be in March 2016.

"As we inform and educate the community about the port, the city’s greatest economic engine, we have a responsibility to do that in a way that is transparent and consistent," said Harbor Commission President Lori Ann Guzmán. "This is an opportunity to better partner with many great organizations in Long Beach that serve communities surrounding the port."

The scheduled twice-a-year call for sponsorships will give stakeholders a clear process to follow and help in their planning, and a way for the port to evaluate where its funding will have the greatest impact.

For more information on the port’s sponsorship program, go to www.polb.com/sponsorship.

New Orleans: Port, WWL-TV Launch ‘We Choose Louisiana’ Promotion

The Port of New Orleans launched a promotional ad August 25 on WWL-TV Channel 4. The 30-second "We Choose Louisiana" ad will be broadcast through November on New Orleans’ CBS affiliate and through the station’s digital media platforms.

"The ‘We Choose Louisiana’ campaign sheds light on the positive stories of business and industry that choose Louisiana today and every day," said Port President Gary LaGrange, PPM®.

WWL-TV launched the campaign in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina to focus on the positive change that has occurred since, due to the economic growth powered by local business and industry.
To view the campaign, visit:http://portno.com/multimedia and click on "We Choose Louisiana."

Port of Oakland Sponsors Back to School Giveaway

The Port of Oakland donated backpacks to all 370 students at Preparatory Literary Academy of Cultural Excellence during a school giveaway August 26 at Prescott Elementary School. The port is partnering with Oakland-based Lend A Hand Foundation (LAHF) to help disadvantaged youth in the Oakland Unified School District.

"Backpacks get students excited about the new school year," said Amy Tharpe, the port’s director of social responsibility. "As a West Oakland neighbor and partner, the Port of Oakland is doing its part to help local school children."

The port purchased the backpacks and school supplies while port employees donated their time to prepare the backpacks for distribution. The port says the goal is to ensure that students are better equipped for learning.
The backpacks are filled with school supplies to help parents focus on other priorities such as food and clothing.

This is the 16th year that Oakland-based LAHF has donated school supplies to local youth. According to LAHF, approximately 30,000 low-income youth in Oakland alone need financial support.

Port of Seattle Sends Staff to Help Eastern Washington Fire Emergencies

The Port of Seattle has sent two fire crews from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to assist with mutual aid to respond to the overwhelming need surrounding the Eastern Washington fire situation. The crews are working in support roles to ensure surrounding communities will be safe but are not be part of frontline forest fire fighting.

"The situation in Eastern Washington is unprecedented and we want to do everything we can to help as well as express our support for all of the communities that are being affected," said Port CEO Ted J. Fick.

One crew of three firefighters from the Port of Seattle Fire Department is staffing the Omak Airport in support of helicopter operations for the Okanogan Complex Fire. The other crew of four firefighters is providing structural support and shuttle water to brush crews on the fire line.

According to the port, the deployments do not affect fire-fighting capabilities at Sea-Tac Airport.