Bend Park & Rec to host Winter Solstice open skate, Drive-Thru Holiday Food Drive to help food bank

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Bend Park and Recreation District is hosting its annual Winter Solstice open skate and a Drive-Thru Holiday Food Drive this weekend to help fill the shelves at the NeighborImpact Food Bank.

Winter Solstice and Holiday Skate

The park district will celebrate the change of seasons on Friday, Dec. 15, with a Winter Solstice Celebration from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Pavilion. The open skate session will kick off the holiday skate season with treats and a performance by the Bend Ice Figure Skating Club.

Attendees are encouraged to bring in a non-perishable food donation for NeighborImpact in exchange for a special $6 admission price, including rental skates.

“The Winter Solstice Celebration is always one of the most anticipated events of the year here at The Pavilion,” said Clare Gordon, supervisor at The Pavilion. “It’s a fun, family-friendly night of ice skating with a bigger goal: helping NeighborImpact feed our neighbors in need during the holidays and beyond.”

The Pavilion’s Holiday Skate happens from Dec. 16 to Jan. 1 with open skate sessions available daily. The Pavilion will be closed Dec. 25. Schedules are available at www.bendparksandrec.org/holidayskate.

Drive-thru Food Drive

Community members are invited to bring food donations to one of two BPRD locations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 16:

• Larkspur Community Center: Bend Senior Center entrance (1600 SE Reed Market Rd.)
• The parking lot across from The Pavilion (Park and Float seasonally) (1001 SW Bradbury Dr.)

Food Bank donation items needed most include:

• Canned proteins (chicken, tuna, etc.)
• Soups and stews
• Canned vegetables and fruit
• Dried beans (black beans, pinto beans, lentils)
• No glass packaging, please.

NeighborImpact donation bins are also available at Juniper Swim & Fitness Center, Larkspur Community Center, The Pavilion and the BPRD Office through Jan. 1. Facility visitors are encouraged to bring food items to donate during regular hours.

Since 2020, BPRD’s food drive efforts have generated more than 20,000 pounds of food for NeighborImpact.