Generous donor brightens up downtown Bend

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Downtown Bend Business Association is a small nonprofit dedicated to increasing the vitality of Downtown Bend.  They keep Downtown clean, graffiti free & accessible, they create the ‘look and feel’ of Downtown Bend as you know it, including decorations & banners, and they advocate for the needs of Downtown Bend business and building owners.

Because much of their funding comes from fundraising events, like Bend Oktoberfest, which has been canceled because of COVID-19, the organization will be operating with a limited budget this next fiscal year.

“As a small non-profit, we rely on our community to help fund beautification projects in Downtown Bend,” says Mindy Aisling, executive director of the DBBA. “This year, because we will be unable to hold our usual fundraising events, we will be relying more than ever on direct donations from our community.”

Recently, the Bend Relo team at Fred Real Estate Group made a generous donation to the DBBA to support them in continuing their services during these difficult times.

“We want to lead by example and the DBBA’s mission is something we feel aligned with. Bend is a community and economy of small businesses and we want to be supportive where we can,” said David Keyte with Bend Relo at Fred Real Estate Group.

The DBBA wanted to use the funds to do something special to brighten up Downtown, something that would be a long-lasting investment with a positive message. 

As a small non-profit, the DBBA is always working to stretch every dollar.  As such, the DBBA reached out to Brilliance and Branding, a long-standing community partner and sponsor of Downtown Bend beautification.  They agreed to discount the costs of banners, and working together, new banners were designed for Downtown Bend. 

The DBBA Board of Directors reports that it is donations like the one from Fred Real Estate Group that allow that allow their staff to continue to do the good work that they do for the community. 

“Downtown Bend is truly your classic small town Main Street, funded by the community for the community,” says a DBBA Board Director, “we are incredibly grateful and honored by the generous donation from Fred Real Estate Group, and, in partnership with Brilliance and Branding, we are delighted to bring further beautification to Downtown Bend.”