Food for the living & flesh for the dead

I can only imagine the horrified responses of people who unexpectedly ran into a mass of zombies in downtown Portland this time last year. An old lady somewhere must have fainted upon witnessing hundreds of folks with sunken-in eyes, clad in tattered clothing, feet dragging slowly through the city streets. No, it wasn’t finals week. It was the Portland Zombie Walk, and it has returned this year…for your brains.

The walk has been around since 2005. It’s grown more popular each year and last year over 1,000 Portlanders crawled out of their graves to attend the event. An equally strong turnout is expected for 2009.

Last year, the frightful affair teamed up with Oregon Food Bank and asked for small donations from participating zombies. The same is happening this year, with the fundraising target set at $2,000. The going rate is $5, but any amount is appreciated. While a donation isn’t required in order to walk, the act is certainly full of good karma—which you’ll need in the zombie afterlife.

Oregon Food Bank distributes donated food to banks around Oregon and has four regional food banks in the Portland metro area alone. The organization’s mission is to eliminate hunger through social action and education. Their services are a big help to many low-income and homeless people in and around the city, making it possible for soup kitchens, shelters and more to operate.

Why not raise hunger awareness as you wander the streets seeking out some brains to gnaw on for yourself? The walk starts at 3:30 p.m. this Saturday and, in order to keep a low profile, the starting location and route will be released on the walk’s MySpace in the next few days. Considering the trend of past years, though, the walk is likely to begin somewhere downtown.

Don’t be surprised if the starting location is also the site for Thrill the World 2009. Yes, you read it right, a giant tribute to Michael Jackson will also take place Saturday. This worldwide event encourages people to gather in flash-mob style and simultaneously perform the “Thriller” dance. And if that doesn’t awaken the undead, I don’t know what will. This, too, is a benefit. All donations go to Portland’s Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center.

So, how should you prepare for a day packed with zombies and Michael Jackson dance moves? You can start by checking out information on the events’ respective MySpace sites. Then you can snag some fake blood from a costume store before it sells out, rip up your best zombie attire and tell all your friends that there’s no logical reason for missing this horrific event.