By Matt Crownover, Lebanon Express writer | Posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2009 12:00 am
For the first time, two signature events in Lebanon are joining forces.
Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital's fifth annual Act Alive event will be held in conjunction
with the Star-Spangled Celebration July 4 at Cheadle Lake.
"It was spurred in part by the fact that they would have had to relocate their event (because of the construction of the new medical center)," said Warren Beeson, general chairman of the Star-Spangled Celebration.
"We thought that maybe we could make it part of the Fourth of July celebration and then it would get more people to participate and it would mean bigger and better exposure for our event."
Gates open to the public at 2 p.m. at Cheadle Lake on Saturday.
Entertainment options at the Celebration include face-painting, karaoke, a variety of musical performances, a caricature artist, juggling (including a free juggling lesson), a magician, miniature golf, kids' games, an air rifle shooting booth, and a wide variety of food booths.
"We have a lot of different kinds of great foods," Beeson said.
At 10 p.m., Homeland Fireworks will top the evening off with "the valley's best fireworks show."
Information about times and location of specific events is available on
the event website, www.starspangledcelebration.org.
Admission is $8 per carload. Walk-in admission for adults is $3. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
For those who have not attended the event in the past, Beeson promised it's all worth it.
"There are a lot of different things for different ages and interests and we really tried hard to keep things affordable and family-oriented," Beeson said. "And you absolutely do not want to miss the fireworks."
Act Alive, a series of sporting events with physician Tim Hindmarsh, is an event to raise awareness of Type 2 diabetes.
A portion of the proceeds will go toward sponsoring uninsured diabetes patients at SLCH.
The events this year will include a 20-mile cycling event through the East Linn County countryside with the Santiam Spokes, a four-mile walk along Cheadle Lake's trail system with Build Lebanon Trails, and a twilight 5-kilometer run along Cheadle Lake's trails with the Lebanon High School Cross Country team.
Beeson said the marriage between the two events was seamless.
"Our focus has always been a family-oriented event and combining the two is a really good fit for both of us," he said. "We couldn't see any downside to it."
Act Alive features a variety of activities and events, highlighted by a sky dive onto the celebration grounds at 7:30 p.m. by Hindmarsh and friends.
"Skydivers dropping in on the Fourth of July is a good thing for our event too," Beeson quipped.
Registration for the 5K run is $20 on the day of the event.
In addition, the Lebanon Lions Club will have its health screening unit at the celebration from 3-7 p.m.
For more information on Act Alive, contact 451-7161.