Gala at The Riverhouse raises $283,500

The 22nd Annual Gala at The Riverhouse, the annual fundraiser produced by The Riverhouse Hotel and the Central Oregon Visitors Association, raised just over $283,500 at Monday night ‘s gala to benefit the Education Foundation for Bend-La Pine Schools.

This year’s Gala was full of excitement, as nearly 500 attendees enjoyed a five-course gourmet dinner, bid on an exciting mix of silent auction items, entered raffles to win adventure sports equipment and one-of-a-kind jewelry and were entertained by the featured guest speaker: Gold Medal Olympian Ashton Eaton.

Major sponsors included The Riverhouse, Central Oregon Visitors Association, Horizon Broadcasting Group, Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund, Bend Research and Earth2O.

The Gala at The Riverhouse has been a solid fundraising event in the community for the past 22 years. The Central Oregon Visitors Association in partnership with The Riverhouse produces the entire event from preliminary beneficiary selection through donation procurement, ticket sales, and volunteer support for the evening of the event.

The Riverhouse also completely donates all the food and beverage, facility,
and labor for the night of the event; thereby ensuring that 100% of ticket sales directly benefit the selected charity. The Gala remains one of the most successful charity events in Central Oregon, and it continues to help local non-profits in a meaningful way year after year.

Since its inception, this annual event has raised over $2.3 million for local non-profit organizations.

Proceeds from The Gala will benefit the Education Foundation for Bend-La
Pine Schools and establish a lasting endowment that will provide athletic fee scholarships for deserving students for years to come.

Since 2003, the Education Foundation’s Activity Fee Scholarship Program has benefited nearly 4,000 students, including Ashton Eaton, by providing financial aid for participation fees associated with after-school sports.

Founded 22 years ago, the Gala has raised money in support of many local non-profit organizations including: Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Oregon, Grandma’s House, Sparrow Clubs, KIDS Center, Family Resource Center, Ronald McDonald House, Every Kid Fund, Deschutes Children’s Foundation, Tower Theater, Cascade Youth and Family Center, Habitat for Humanity, Volunteers in Medicine and Heart of Oregon Corps.