Let’s all celebrate Bethel TODAY! Saturday, June 10, from noon to 4 p.m. at Petersen Barn Community Center, 870 Berntzen Rd.

Featuring over three dozen booths, family games, food, music, and entertainment, the ‘We Are Bethel’ celebration will be held at Petersen Barn Community Center June 10 from noon to 4 p.m.

Bring 2 cups of DRY soil for free testing for lead at the SoilSHOP booth!

With over three dozen booths, family games, food, music, and entertainment, come at noon and stay until 4 p.m. Have lunch and early dinner at the Guatemalan Food Cart El Quetzal and save room for dessert at Bea’s Cart.

The celebration will feature performances from Micky Wickd, Taller De Son Jarocho, Ballet Folklorico Colibri Dancers, West African Cultural Arts Institute Band, Cascade/Willamette Mariachi Group, Cascade Middle School Jazz Band and Cascade Middle School Choir.

Five fun carnival games will be run by high school students for volunteer hours. Gunny sack races will be staged several times throughout the event, with fun participant ribbons for all racers.

Active Bethel Community will be raffling off 5 $20 Jerry’s Home Improvement Center Gift Cards every hour (selling for $1 each or 6 for $5)

Bethel student art will be on display in the main room at Petersen Barn.

Booths include:

350 Eugene
ABC Raffle for $20 Gift Cards ($1 each, 6 for $5)
Active Bethel Community Committees + information
Bethel Education Foundation
Bethel Library
Bethel Middle School Mentor Program
Beyond Toxics
Boy Scouts Troop 22
Canines for Clean Water
Community Supported Shelters + Conestsoga Hut
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
Dirt Maidens
Electric Vehicle Cars (three cars to see and ask questions)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Eugene Park Planning: Golden Gardens
Eugene Bethel Lions Club
Friends of Trees
Girl Scouts Troop 28
Head Start of Lane County
Home Share Oregon
Host Homes and Mentors
International Exchange
Julius & Vactor Truck’s Adventures Book + Truck
Lane County Developmental Disabilities Services
Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA)
Lane Transit District
Nature Discovery School (2 booths)
Oregon All American Girl Youth Development
Oregon Health Authority SoilSHOP (Soil Screening, Health, Outreach and Partnership)
Preschool Promise, Early Education Program
Ready NW Eugene
Resolve + Youth Empowerment Program
Safe Routes to School
Sponsors Mentorship Program
The Willamette Valley Puppeteers
Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District
Willamette Resources and Educational Network (WREN) – West Eugene wetlands)

SoilSHOP Booth:
The Oregon Health Authority booth offers free soil screening for lead. Prepare and bring up to three DRY soil samples from your yard, play area, or garden to the OHA booth. For each sample, dry at least two cups of soil and place it into a clear plastic baggie. Label each baggie with the location of that sample.

OHA will provide:
Same-day results and one-on-one education Information on safe gardening practices Ways to avoid metals exposure for the whole family Complete sampling instructions can be found on OHA’s website. Limit of three sample bags/person.

Note that screening cannot identify sources of lead and can only detect lead at the point where the sample was taken, rather than an entire area. This method is not as accurate as laboratory analysis and should not be used to make public health or legal decisions.