By Oregon Coast TODAY
Finding a glass float on a Lincoln City beach is already a special experience, but from June 1-14 a found float will have even more meaning.
The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation is once again partnering with Explore Lincoln City to add a philanthropic twist to the Finders Keepers program — this time with a focus on helping young people explore new places, environments and experiences.
In honor of what would have been Lamfrom’s 129th birthday, the foundation will fund the creation and placement of 129 limited-edition yellow glass floats along Lincoln City’s seven-mile stretch of beach. Handcrafted by artists at Lincoln City Glass Center and Alder House, each float is uniquely marked and linked to dozens of participating coastal schools and nonprofits.
When a float is found and reported, a donation will be made to the organization it represents, with a total of $129,000 going toward field trips, tours and out-of-town adventures for young people from Oregon’s coastal communities.
“Marie adored the Oregon Coast, especially beachcombing for glass fishing floats and other treasures, and she had a deep love of children, the arts and community,” said Sally Bany, Lamfrom’s granddaughter and foundation co-founder. “This initiative brings Marie’s passions together in a way that celebrates her legacy while helping young people step outside their everyday surroundings and discover something new.”
Lamfrom served as a nurse in World War I, escaped Nazi Germany with her family to live in Portland and quickly became a champion for young people, especially the Girl Scouts. She served as a troop leader at Shriners Hospital for Children and later, at Providence Hospital.
Lamfrom and her husband, Paul, created what is now known as Columbia Sportswear, an international Portland-based business still led by her family. Their daughter, Gert Boyle, would go on to leave much of her estate to the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation when she died in 2019, “ensuring that Marie’s legacy be shared and remembered throughout Oregon for many decades to come,” according to the foundation’s website.
While other floats might be discovered during a beach hunt, any float bearing a unique sticker for the program is definitively part of the initiative.
The first 10 floats reported will generate rewards of up to $5,000. All participating organizations will receive grants between $500 and $5,000, even if their assigned float isn’t found by July 31.
For more information and to register a found float, go to www.marielamfrom.org/birthday.
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