JOSEPH B. FRAZIER
Associated Press Writer
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- At a time when some tourists are frightened about flying to New York, about 800 Oregonians are taking to the skies for a unique airlift that follows the mayor's call for Americans to keep visiting the stricken city.
The Oregon delegation is so large and the trip such a last-minute event that it will take 62 flights to get the massive contingent there.
``The mayor said, `We need you, come to New York,' and we're heeding that call,'' said Sho Dozono, chairman of the Portland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and head of Azumano Travel, who helped organize the event dubbed ``Flight for Freedom.''
Several efforts are under way nationwide to bring normalcy to New York by encouraging people to make a visit _ to have dinner, catch a Broadway show and see the sights. Among them is a Delta Air Lines giveaway campaign to bring 10,000 visitors to New York during the next six months.
``If you're thinking about coming to New York, do it now,'' Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said. He has been urging tourists not to shy away from the city since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that brought down the World Trade Center.
The Oregonians were scheduled to begin converging on New York City over a four-day period starting Thursday, a day after President Bush planned to make his second visit to the city since the attacks. Many other dignitaries have visited as well, showing support for the city and for air travel and tourism.
``It really came home when I saw guys go in those buildings, and the number that didn't come out,'' said former Oregon volunteer firefighter Cecil Pulliam, who is part of the Oregon delegation.
The trip was cobbled together a week ago with the expectation of 200 participants, Dozono said. By Monday, the response was so great the organizers had to close the reservation books.
The package was quite attractive: $379 for airfare and two nights at the luxurious Waldorf Astoria, or $434 for three nights at the same hotel.
Organizers put together a full itinerary, including receptions at the Waldorf Astoria, a dinner hosted by U.S. Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., and tours to several places, including Wall Street, a memorial to the trade center victims, and possibly even the site of the devastation, which is closed to the public.
Portland Mayor Vera Katz is also scheduled to appear on the NBC ``Today'' show.
The participants should be easy to spot: Organizers ordered T-shirts and buttons that say ``Oregon Loves NY.''
Melissa Goodwin, who lives Toledo, less than 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean, is planning to join in on the events.
``It's a matter of getting a feel for what really happened,'' she said. ``It seems like a movie being out here on the coast and all, a long way from New York.''
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