http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_Freedom_DayIt doesn't look like there is yet a group in the Portland Area.
http://cgi.softwarefreedomday.org/2009/map.shtmlIf there are any requests for Live Linux CD/DVDs (So you can get an idea for the way things look and how they feel, even if they are a little slower due to running entirely off CD instead of touching your hard drive.) or install media such as the upcoming Ubuntu 9.10 release; please reply here and I'll try to bring them to the next election if there is reasonable volume. (If the volume is overwhelming I might actually request help from others or various release services.)
Links for various distributions you might consider (MOST of the popular ones are either very user friendly, or good at performing generic PC recovery)
http://distrowatch.com/http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Software/9268.htmlI'd personally recommend Ubuntu (as I've used it), but I hear Mint is an even easier version of ubuntu. There are also many choices.
Enjoy your Freedom.