Update 2:  The Approve 71 campaign says HEY SEATTLE!!! This weekend’s canvasing event was so successful, we are schedule round 2 for next Saturday 24th. If you are not in Seattle, but want to plan a canvasing event in your area, please let us know so we can help you along. E-mail info@approve71.org Details for the Seattle event are here

Update: Blend reader Amanda announces an Approve 71 rally this Friday in Spokane.  Details at end of post.

Saturday was a heady day of canvassing, phone banking and rallying in Washington state to Approve Referendum 71!

Vancouver Doorbelling – Organizer Rory Bowman reports:

Coming off of the high of pro-71 editorials in both The Columbian and The Oregonian this week, ten folks showed up, put on ACLU t-shirts and stayed out through absolutely drenching rains to deliver about 1500 door hangers in west Vancouver, in the densest and most liberal part of the city.

Included in this were some allies from the “no on 1033” campaign and a few folks who crossed the river to lend a hand. Within the first two hours I was soaked through all my clothes, but plastic bags kept the door hangers dry and we had a lot of support from people in the neighborhoods.

The excitement of folks to step up and take part in this important measure was palpable. Our next goal is to try and raise $20,000 for television ads at http://www.actblue.com/page/approve71vancouver

More fliers will be distributed at senior communities, mobile home parks and in different neighborhoods.

Tacoma Canvass – About 20 canvassers hit the soggy streets of Tacoma Saturday and knocked on the doors of almost 500 homes.  Organizer Ryan Mello reports:

Volunteers had a real good time, thought they connected with lots of voters and humanized the need for domestic partnerships so that it wasn’t just an intellectual issue or just another political issue.  They really felt like they put a face to our families for hundreds of voters in Tacoma today.

Seattle Canvass – Miraculously, the rain stopped just long enough for 50 volunteers to knock on thousands of neighborhood doors and talk to voters about protecting ALL Washington families by voting “approved” on R-71.  Canvassers also urged voters to defeat the insidious Eyman I-1033 initiative and renew the Seattle housing levy.  Immediately following the canvass, the rain resumed.  As the Approve 71 campaign Facebooked, “It’s raining equality in Washington!”  Here are a few comments from our intrepid canvassers:

“It was fun! We even had a big kitty follow us around for a bit. If she could vote, she’d vote to APPROVE R-71.”

“It was great to be out in Seattle knocking on doors and passing out info! The rain stopped just in time for us to canvass and started up as soon as we were done. Even the weather’s with us…see you in the West Seattle Junction tomorrow!”

“We had a very positive experience door belling for Approve Ref-71 yesterday. Only one negative voter was encountered. In fact,many people thanked us for trying to make a difference!”

The canvass was organized with the help of the amazing Aubrey (in gray), who is on loan to Washington Families Standing Together from Basic Rights Oregon.  BRO is also lending several organizers to Maine’s No On 1 campaign.  Thanks BRO!

Gig Harbor Rally – The YWCA mostly organized the counter rally in response to the Gig Harbor Reject 71 rally.  Here, complete with cell phone picture! is the report from one of the Y organizers.  I’ve redacted names for privacy:

Happiness is standing on a street corner in the pouring rain because you believe passionately in a cause.

Thank you to K for organizing the Approve 71 rally in Gig Harbor today.  For most of the 4 hours, there were more of us than the reject side.

Thank you also to YWCA staff that stood up for justice today:

R who showed up with her dogs wearing Approve 71 green bandanas.

D and her husband B

M and his wife L

J’s partner K and baby A

K and her daughter M

In addition to YW staff, there were members of the community….for a total of 25 people holding signs to Approve 71.  Here is the best news of all.  We received way more thumbs up than thumbs down.  They had the bigger signs but we had more energy and enthusiasm.  And more horns honked in support of us than them.

There were literally thousands of cars who read our signs which said things like: Support all families, Approve 71.

K will let you know of more opportunities to help with the campaign.  If we all do a little, we will create equal rights for all people for a lifetime.

Spokane Rally – Blend reader Jim reports in on the rally in Spokane which he attended and links us to the local news report.

We went to the counter rally at Calvary Baptist on Hastings Road in Spokane…the images [in the news story] are great because it shows a lot more of the Approve crowd than the rejects. We were actually buried in a sea of about 70 people all holding 2 or three reject signs and the giant 10 foot signs but they did not make it into the video. It looks like we were pretty evenly matched.

T minus 16 days.

We’re just 16 days from election day.  Phone banks are available daily in Seattle, several days per week in numerous other locations, and any time you feel like it if you phone from home!

Update: The following was emailed to me by Blend reader Amanda.

In response to the Faith and Freedom Network’s weekly REJECT 71 rallies, my friends and I are coordinating our own APPROVE 71 rally to take place in Washington’s second largest city, Spokane.

What: Approve 71 Rally!

Where: Main and Division, Spokane

When: Friday, October 23 at 4:00

Recomondation: Print up plenty of palm cards to hand out to passers-by.  These little cards are packed with info and fit conveniently into a pocket!