In the summer of 2024,

After 5 years of professional mascot retirement, I was tempted by the idea of coming back. It just so happened, at the time I found Dillon, the Portland Pickles were in need of a mascot.

Ever since that serendipitous summer, Dillon and I have been creating a legacy of joy in and around Portland. We hope that Dillon is a reminder and embodiment of all we wish Portland to be.

Beyond my mascoting experience with Dillon, I also had the privilege to create a reading program for Portland students, design the Portland Pickles website, and sketch the schedule graphics for the 2025 season. Check out all the briney work below!

Dillon and I teamed up with 13 Portland-area schools to increase literacy rates with students in grades K-8. Dillon challenged students to achieve their reading goals with the hopes of developing a love of storytelling.

In our first year of the program, over 5,000 students participated and more than 10,000 books were read.

This is only the beginning of Dillon’s journey to light the spark of learning within Portland students.