Shriners Portland Addition: Christmas Wishes

December 22, 2009

In the spirit of the Holiday season construction workers on the Portland Hospital addition wanted to do something fun and festive for the patients. The group started drawing up the plans early in the year, obtained the proper permissions and worked with the crane maintenance workers, who volunteered their time, to get the lights strung safely.

The team held a small picnic at a park just at the bottom of Marquam Hill following Thanksgiving for the lighting ceremony. Strung with 2,700 linear feet of LED rope lights the display uses less wattage than 18 regular household light bulbs making the crane not only pretty but "Green". The crane can be seen into Vancouver, Washington and is the predominant display seen throughout the city of Portland.

The tower crane is working to complete the 66,000 square foot addition to the Shriners Hospitals for Children — Portland which will open May 8, 2010. The Shriners Hospitals for Children in Portland broke ground on September 13, 2008 on the addition and renovation. The $74 million dollar addition will employ more than 350 people throughout the length of the project.