Soroptimist International of Bend marks 75 years

Bend’s longest continuously running women’s service organization, Soroptimist International of Bend (SI Bend), is kicking off its 75 th birthday with a celebration at Bethlehem Inn on Tuesday, Oct. 16, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

As part of our 75 th Birthday Celebration, the Soroptimist club in Bend has donated $10,000 toward a new children’s playground at the Bethlehem Inn. City of Bend dignitaries and members of the public are invited to join us at the Bethlehem Inn to celebrate with dessert and a tour of the new facility.

Soroptimist is an international organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. Almost 95,000 Soroptimists in about 120 countries and territories contribute time and financial support to community-based and international projects that benefit women and girls.

SI Bend is a non-profit organization that has been helping women and children our community for the past 75 years. The first Soroptimist club was formed in 1921 by a group of 80 women in Oakland, California. SI Bend was chartered in August of 1943. The name, Soroptimist, means “best for women,” and that’s what the organization strives to achieve. Soroptimists are women at their best, working to help other women to be their best.

Since 1943, the SI Bend club has awarded over $60,000 to local women in educational assistance. The annual SI Bend Holiday Evergreen Fundraising Sale supports these awards. Please visit us at www.sibend.org to purchase holiday evergreens from the club and to view our other fundraising programs and events.