Customizing Outdoor School for Rural Oregon

With help from over $13,000 in Lottery support, Triangle Lake Charter school students get to enjoy the truly Oregonian experience of Outdoor School where the classroom is our great outdoors. See their Camp Lane adventure!

Connecting students with nature is a very good thing. That’s why Oregon voters dedicated Lottery dollars to help support Outdoor School programs. In the case of the Coos Bay School District, this made their outdoor school program available to their community students. In 2016, the OMSI Coastal Discovery Center at Camp Grey opened with the promise to be the largest outdoor science camp in the Oregon. Coos Bay School District Superintendent Bryan Trendell shared, “To send 235 students to Camp Grey, it will cost $44,000. We didn’t know what funding was going to look like.” Lottery funding to more than cover their costs arrived shortly after winter break. With much excitement, Trendell reported, “The great thing is that the total funding will take care of transportation, meals, and the facility. Everything to do with Camp Grey is taken care of!” For the Coos Bay School district, Lottery funding provides their students, their future leaders with a life-enhancing Outdoor School experience. When you play, good things happen for the schools throughout Oregon.

Milton-Freewater may be a small, rural school district, but the new Outdoor School program has already had a big impact. Approximately 135 fifth-graders participated in the inaugural two-night/three-day outdoor school at Buck Creek Campground, made possible in part due to new lottery funding. “We had the opportunity to get the kids away from the iPads and the laptops and get their hands on the soil and water instead — something a lot of our kids don’t have the opportunity to do,” said Principal Don Davis. “All in all, the program was a success and could not have happened had it not been funded. We purchased sleeping bags, cots, binoculars and other essential outdoor items, and all was paid for because Oregonians voted to have the funds appropriated.” Needless to say, the district, parents and the kids are all knee-deep in planning their next Outdoor School adventure.

The code of the Samurai beckons

The thrills of the Vegas Strip right here in Oregon!

As we celebrate all things spooky, it’s good to remember that Oregon has plenty of unique scary cryptids and slimy creatures that haunt the night. Of course you’ve heard of Sasquatch, but did you know he runs with a crew of even more elusive monsters who live in our state’s most dark and remote corners? Oregon Monsters Scratch-its honor our lesser-known nightmare dwellers, from Dogman to the Devil’s Lake Monster, Colossal Claude and more. Match five winning numbers on the front of the Scratch-it to your numbers to win up to $30,000! But then check out the reverse to learn more about our monstrous inhabitants. You never know who you might run into on your next camping trip in the dark woods.

Prepare to be spellbound by Crossword Magic! This enchanting Scratch-it summons the thrill of a magician’s act right into your hands. Don’t expect to see a rabbit pulled from a hat, but for just $2, you could unlock a mesmerizing top prize of $15,000! Wave your wand and scratch away to uncover words on the crossword grid, matching as many as you can to uncover magical prizes. Don’t miss out on the chance to experience the enchantment – grab Crossword Magic at your favorite Lottery retailer today!

Lights twinkle in the crisp night air, smelling of pine, peppermint, and hot cocoa. Over the sounds of children laughing, you can hear silver bells and carolers. There’s no doubt about it: You’ve arrived at Candy Cane Lane, the most magical street in the neighborhood. For just $1, you can stroll this festive street, dotted with gumdrops and cupcakes. You might even win big – a stroll down Candy Cane Lane comes with the chance to put up to $1,000 in your stocking! Whether it’s a little gift for yourself, your cranky coworker, or the in-laws who seem to have a hard time getting into the holiday spirit, a ticket to Candy Cane Lane is sure to spread a little extra joy.

Is the era of the Ugly Sweater Party over yet? Let’s instead usher in the Year of the Cozy Sweater Party. We’d really rather celebrate with friends and families in a garment that doesn’t poke, prod, light up, and most of all, itch. Oh, that itch! If you must scratch something this season, make it this Holiday Magic Scratch-it, which features all of your cozy faves – a holiday card, a mug of cocoa, and those antler horns that you put on the dog because if you’re suffering for cuteness, so is she. At just $2, you can pick up enough Holiday Magic to bless everyone at your Cozy Sweater Party. They can win up to $10,000, with instant $20 wins when they find the penguin. Or you can keep it all for yourself and invest in some light, oh-so-soft sweaters that won’t itch at all. Ahhh.