/ Port of Vancouver USA Announces Recipients of 2026 Community Fund
The Port of Vancouver USA has announced the recipients of its 2026 Community Fund. The Community Fund assists programs and projects in the local community that share the port’s mission of economic development, workforce training and tourism. The Community Fund will disburse $10,000 among the following projects and programs in 2026:
- Hudson’s Bay High School Construction Trades Program – Hudson’s Bay High School will receive $2,500 to support its Construction Trades program by funding glue, paint, wood and other materials for hands-on student construction projects. The funding will be used for nine Saturday Community Build/Open Shop days, providing students and families across Vancouver with opportunities to practice and strengthen real-world trade skills that align with regional labor market needs.
- Latinos Unidos y Floreciendo (LUYF) – LUYF will receive $2,500 to support a hands-on youth leadership and education project at Heritage Farm that will allow individuals to gain exposure to career pathways in agriculture, food systems and community-based economic development. With a focus on high school students, the program will center four sessions on agricultural education and culturally rooted land stewardship.
- Vancouver Arena Project and Vancouver Go-Fest—The Vancouver Arena Project will receive $2,500 in support of its annual Pokémon Go-Fest in Esther Short Park in the summer of 2026. Organizers utilize a small business passport centered on having participants visit 12 or more businesses in downtown Vancouver, making the festival a regional tourism draw. The Vancouver Pokémon community is one of the largest in the world with 6,000 registered players. In 2025, the event drew more than 10,000 attendees, distributed more than 3,000 passports and supported more than $435,000 in business sales.
- Vancouver Ballet Folklorico and Luminarias Dia de Muertos – Vancouver Ballet Folklorico will receive $2,500 to support its annual Luminarias Dia de Muertos. This fall event takes place at Esther Short Park, and honors ancestral traditions through cultural performance, community altars and educational programming. With 4,000 attendees in 2025, the festival will utilize funds for professional sound, lighting and other enhancements to its 2026 programming. The event is a driver of regional tourism that supports hotels, restaurants and businesses in downtown Vancouver.
The port launched the Community Fund in 2020. For its 2026 award consideration, the Community Fund received 24 applications requesting a total of $134,923.
“Once again, we received a large number of applications from programs that do impactful work in our community,” said Mike Bomar, the port’s Chief Economic Strategy Officer. “The selection committee’s task is always difficult to pick among so many worthy applicants. We’re confident that this year’s Community Fund recipients align with port priorities of preparing our workforce, strengthening our economy through tourism and generating economic opportunities.”
Several ports in Washington state operate community funds, and the port drew from that expertise in developing its own guidelines. The Port of Vancouver USA’s program supports its Strategic Plan that it should pursue opportunities to share port resources with community partners to advance common goals.
