(Photo above: (L-R) Teri Drew, Tammy Gregory & Alison Palmer of Mid Oregon Credit Union, Madras Branch | courtesy of Mid Oregon Credit Union)
Mid Oregon Credit Union announce their 13th year in support of Healthy Beginnings Adopt-a-Bear campaign. In 2004, Mid Oregon’s CEO Bill Anderson and Healthy Beginnings Executive Director Holly Remer provided a perfect solution to a fundraising dilemma with a creative campaign called Adopt-a-Bear.
The colorful teddy bear became the vehicle to expand community awareness and provide needed revenue. Mid Oregon Credit Union staff and members “adopt” bears with their donations to Healthy Beginnings and the die-cut bears become the “wallpaper” at all their branches in Bend, Redmond, Madras, Prineville, La Pine and Sisters during the weeks of April 3 through 21, 2017. The campaign efforts have raised more than $22,000 to date.
Healthy Beginnings provides no cost health and developmental screenings to preschool children in our communities ensuring they are ready to learn when they enter kindergarten. The state has identified universal community screenings as best practice, providing consistent, reliable, valid, evidence based screening for young children – but there is no state funding. For the past 23 years, Healthy Beginnings relies on community donations to keep their screenings free for all families who utilize their services. Healthy Beginnings serves nearly 1,000 children and families each year in Bend, Redmond, La Pine, Madras, Prineville, Sisters and Sunriver.
Community residents may make a donation to Healthy Beginnings at any Mid Oregon Credit Union location, or you can call 541-382-1795. For information about child screenings go to www.MyHB.org.
