The Oregon Tourism Commission announced it will award $63,000 through its Matching Grants Program in order to advance 11 tourism development projects across the state. One of the grants was given to the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce for a marketing and advertising campaign to promote “The Goonies” 25th Anniversary Celebration, to be held June 4-7.

According to the Chamber’s Marketing Manager, Regina Willkie, “This celebration promises to be a great follow up to our 20th anniversary event in 2005, which included cast appearances by Jeff ‘Chunk’ Cohen, Sean ‘Mikey’ Astin and Curt ‘Mr. Perkins’ Hanson, bus tours to the filming locations, movie showings and much more.”

Grant support from Travel Oregon will also allow for exposure in national media through public relations and paid advertising – efforts that will reach additional movie fans and potentially drive more overnight visits to this region. Targets may include late-night talk shows, entertainment magazines and Web sites, comic books, alternative newspapers in metropolitan areas and onscreen advertisements in cinemas. Social media marketing methods will be used to encourage fans to get involved via sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

For information, go to (www.old oregon.com/visitor-info/entry/ goonies-never-say-die)