The Procession of The Species, in full swing

This weeks (or, er, this months, I suppose) NPO of the week is so incredibly specific to Olympia, so ingrained a part of the little pocket of shaggy, radical culture, so wild and yet utterly ordinary to the town that I feel I may not be able to adequately describe it for the uninitiated.  I will make a- possibly vain- attempt:  The Procession of The Species is a fabulous parade that happens once a year, through the non-profit of the same name.  People from Olympia- children and adults alike- dress up as various iconic characters of the natural world, flora and fauna, bodily systems, etc.  Basically, it’s a celebration of all things organic and of life, in general, and is accompanied by seven weeks of art, music and dance workshops.  The cost of registration for the Procession is two cans of food for the local food bank.

Here’s some sped-up clips from the Procession this year:

The artistic pageant happens on Earth Day, when us Northwest folks are starting to get cross-eyed from the constant drizzle and monochromatic landscape.  It’s always a bright burst of color that enlivens the downtown business community and brings a smile to the city as a whole; a giant, relieved exhalation that, at long last, spring is here. Here’s how the Procession started, in their own words:

‘In January, 1995, a group of Olympia residents wanted to organize an event both to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Earth Day and to support Congressional renewal of the Endangered Species Act. The group decided on a positive statement of support in the form of a community celebration. They developed ideas for action and agreed on several basic tenets along with three simple rules. These became the group’s working principles. The Procession of the Species Celebration was born!’

And here, from their website, are the three rules for participants in the Procession:

-no written words

-no live pets

-no motorized vehicles (for Procession creations, but of course motorized wheelchairs are okay!)

And their organizational mission:

To empower communities to engage in cultural relationships with the natural world as a means of sustaining efforts of environmental protection and restoration.

Commendable, no?

The Procession is fabulously fun and really brings the community together.  I attended every one of the five years I lived in Olympia, and though I missed it this year, I’m happy to announce that DonationPay is helping Procession take their fundraising efforts online.

This year, Procession of The Species is raising money to keep their studio space open year-round.  The studio and the organization are vital arts resources for the community and a way for teachers, students and interested individuals to create more and more elaborate works of art for the annual celebration.  The studio is staffed completely by volunteers and is open to the public as a space to build  beautiful costumes, displays and other pageant materials for the Procession.  It’s awesome, believe me.  Procession also puts on art and music workshops, does educational outreach work, and offers a comprehensive starter kit for people from other cities who are interested in starting their own Procession.

All in all, it’s a great organization and one that is totally emblematic of the Olympia ethos.

Consider donating to The Procession of The Species today; it will make a positive impact on the whole community.

Donate to the Procession

Filed under: Non-Profit Of The Week by AJ