Awesome Bend has announced the finalists who will vie for its next quarterly grant of $1000 at Pitch Night on January 17. The event will be held 6-8:30pm at the Summit Saloon & Stage, 125 NW Oregon Street in downtown Bend and is free and open to the public. In three-minute pitches, finalists will share their ideas for making Bend a better place to live, work or play. A group of ten trustees who each donate $100 to form the collective grant will select the winner. An audience favorite prize will also be awarded.
The finalists include:
A River Unites Us – Conducting a gathering to foster collaboration between farmers, fishermen, ranchers and river advocates to restore health to the Deschutes River
Project You Are Awesome – Distributing “You are awesome” bumper stickers and roses to make people feel good
Pollinator Gardens – Planting a garden for pollinators at Pilot Butte Cemetery
“Welcome to Bend” Ambassador Experiment – Distributing “Welcome to Bend” stickers and documenting reactions on video
Youth Watersports Coaching and Education – Providing river safety education and equipment for Bend youth
“This Pitch Night marks two full years of Awesome Bend growth and success,” said Pam Stevenson, the Dean of Awesomeness. “We outgrew our former venue and are excited about the Summit Saloon as our new home and about the future of Awesome Bend to continue to enhance our community.”
Awesome Bend’s mission is to inspire and support creative ideas to make Bend more awesome with money and mentorship to help turn them into reality. Pitch Nights, where grants are awarded, occur quarterly.
For more information about Pitch Night, to apply for a grant or to apply to become a trustee, please visit www.awesomebend.org or awesomebend@gmail.com.
