As most of you know, our beloved film/tech/train/jazz/labyrinth/werewolf/volunteering-loving Renaissance man Paul Bingman passed away from cancer on April 3, 2011. A private memorial in his honor is planned for this Sunday, April 17, at the Portland Art Museum’s Whitsell Auditorium. All are welcome (There will be chocolate! And a labyrinth!) but you must RSVP because there is a capacity cap. You can do that here: http://friendsofpaulbingman.eventbrite.com/

What you might not know is that the organization planning the memorial--they appropriately call themselves Friend’s of Paul Bingman--is raising funds to cover the expenses related to the memorial. They are also raising money to donate to two of his favorite organizations in his name: The Northwest Film Center and The Trinity Labyrinth Guild. You can donate money via this website: http://paulbingman.chipin.com/memorial-event-for-paul-bingman

Because Paul’s interests were so varied and vast (and so are the friends he made) the Friend’s of Paul Bingman group is asking all of us help spread the word about his memorial. Not all of the lives he touched are Internet savvy, so they might not know about the memorial. They might not even know that Paul has passed. So, if you’re part of a group that Paul had been involved with, we ask that you share the news of his death and invite anyone who may have experienced his bear hugs and kindness to RSVP and attend the memorial.

This Friday’s Beer and Blog meetup is dedicated to the memory of our dedicated friendly soul Paul, the man everyone loved so much. We’ll be accepting donations to turn over to the Friend’s of Paul Bingman group. And we’ll be sharing stories about the giant with the giant heart. We hope to see you there. I know Paul will be, in spirit.

Join PDX Maker Week folks, members of the startup community, and other awesome people for a gathering at Portland's favorite tech happy hour spot, the Green Dragon. We're not buying you drinks. But we guarantee you'll meet some awesome folks. Or, worst case, Rick Turoczy. In which case, you'll probably need a drink. Free or not.