(Photo above: Lenora James | courtesy of Awesome Bend)
Lenora James was the winner of Awesome Bend Pitch Night on January 17 at Summit Saloon with her proposal called Project You are Awesome. With the prize money, James will spread joy throughout the community by enabling people to share roses and You are Awesome stickers with unsuspecting people who need or deserve to know they are appreciated.”
“It might be your son’s teacher or your daughter’s coach,” said James. “The receptionist at the dentist who was super nice to you or the checker at the grocery store that always makes your day.”
Within an hour of winning, the Project You Are Awesome Facebook page was up and running for people to find out more.
The Audience Choice prize of $187 was awarded to Jen Sawyer to plant a pollinator garden at Pilot Butte Cemetery. She has already been given permission by the City of Bend to sow a forage patch to the left of the entrance along the street.
“We plan on coordinating a small group of students from Marshall High School and other volunteers to aid in the development,” said Sawyer.
Awesome Bend is now accepting applications for proposals that will make Bend an even better place to live, work or play for its next quarterly grant at www.awesomebend.org. The application deadline is April 1, 2017. Finalists will be notified and invited to present 3-minute pitches at the next Awesome Bend Pitch Night which will be held April 18th, 2017 6pm-8:30pm at the Summit Saloon, 125 NW Oregon Ave in downtown Bend. The event is free and open to the public.
What Is Awesome Bend?
Awesome Bend’s mission is to inspire and support ideas that make Bend an even better place to live, work and play.
The guidelines for grant selection include:
⦁ The project must be feasible and completed with $1000 within three months of the award.
⦁ The money cannot be used for personal expenses or general operating expenses for an established charity.
⦁ Grantees agree to return to the next Pitch Night and tell the community about their project, thus inspiring future awesomeness.
For more information about Pitch Night, to apply for a grant or to apply to become a trustee, please visit www.awesomebend.org or email awesomebend@gmail.com.
