(Michael P. Hollern, a trustee of The Bend Foundation, speaks at the 2024 High Desert Rendezvous while High Desert Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw looks on. The Bend Foundation is a longtime Museum supporter and served as this year’s Rendezvous honoree | Photo by Bill Jorgens)
The 35th annual High Desert Rendezvous — one of Central Oregon’s longest-running charitable events — set a new fundraising record this year, grossing more than $630,000 to support the programs and exhibitions of the High Desert Museum.
The record was set with help from the 2024 High Desert Rendezvous Honoree, The Bend Foundation. Founded in 1947 by Brooks Scanlon, Brooks Resources and its shareholders, The Bend Foundation has continuously invested in the health and vitality of Central Oregon. And The Bend Foundation has championed the Museum and the educational opportunities it brings to the region, from the initial idea for a museum to its grand opening in 1982 to today.
The Bend Foundation’s community support focuses on adding to the legacy of providing public art in Bend, promoting cultural, educational and intellectual enrichment programs, and enhancing or preserving our physical environment.
“It is our pleasure to continue to support nonprofit and public organizations that work to enhance the cultural and intellectual experiences in our community,” said Romy Mortensen, Bend Foundation Trustee. “The High Desert Museum is a shining example of one of these organizations that is consistently providing opportunities for growth, discovery and enlightenment and we are proud to support it.”
“We are extraordinarily grateful to the generosity of Rendezvous attendees and this community in supporting the work of the Museum,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “The Bend Foundation in particular has provided continued leadership and commitment to the Museum throughout its 42 years, which is all the more vital as we consider what the next four decades will look like.”
The High Desert Rendezvous took place on Saturday, August 24 at the Museum. Funds from Rendezvous support the Museum’s exhibitions, wildlife encounters and educational programs that inspire wonder and learning about the High Desert region. The Museum every year opens up to nine new temporary exhibitions, cares for more than 120 animals and welcomes thousands of school children for field trips. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, nearly 225,000 people visited the Museum.
The 2024 High Desert Rendezvous was presented by Bonta Gelato and Ferguson Wellman Wealth Management with support from First Interstate Bank.
About The Bend Foundation:
Established and funded by Brooks Scanlon, Brooks Resources and its shareholders, The Bend Foundation was originally formed in 1947 as a resource for injured loggers and mill workers, and to provide scholarships for industry workers. With its mission having evolved to assist in enriching the lives of the residents of Bend, Oregon, its key focus is to contribute to nonprofit and public organizations that add to the legacy of providing public art in Bend, promote cultural, educational and intellectual enrichment programs that benefit the community, and enhance or preserve our physical environment.
About The High Desert Museum:
The High Desert Museum opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2019 recipient of the Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
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