Friends of the Children ‘Friendraiser’ event to benefit C.O. youth

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Friends of the Children Central Oregon’s signature event of the year, Friendraiser, is happening on Friday.

This inspiring event is an excellent way for community members to learn more about the groundbreaking program and support Friends of the Children's highly successful model that pairs professional, salaried mentors, called “Friends,” with local youth who have experienced significant trauma by age 5.

Guests will enjoy a plated dinner provided by Zydeco Kitchen, passed hors-d'oeuvres and a silent and live auction. Additionally, hear from staff and youth and learn what the future holds as they embark on their eighth year of operations.

“I’m so excited to have this opportunity to celebrate with our community of supporters,” said Executive Director Rachel Cardwell. “Over the next five years we will double the number of youth we serve, while enhancing our support in education and mental health. Friendraiser is the biggest chance we have to rally support for our youth and show them our entire community cares about them!”

Guests can also purchase raffle tickets to win two round-trip Fly Anywhere tickets from Alaska Airlines, each valued at $1,250. These vouchers are completely unrestricted with no blackout dates, so you can choose to fly whenever and wherever you want! The winner will be announced during the event on September 29th.

All information about this year's Friendraiser, including raffle tickets, can be found on their website at www.friendscentraloregon.org. Register today and be a part of it!

Friends of the Children is a 21 Cares for Kids partner.

###

Friends of the Children has redefined the youth mentoring field by creating the first and only long-term professional mentoring program in the country. Our Friends are experts in building sustained and nurturing relationships with youth. The model was founded on research showing that the single most important factor in overcoming childhood adversity is a long-term, nurturing relationship with a consistent and caring adult. Our trauma-informed, long-term mentoring model recognizes that children who've experienced a lot of adversity need the more specialized and long-term mentoring relationships that Friends of the Children–Central Oregon provides.