Redmond celebrates Earth Day

The city of Redmond celebrated its ninth annual Earth Day Festival Saturday.

The event combined fun with learning. Kids young and old were playing chicken bingo at one booth and were learning about water preservation and the environment at the next.

“The money that this event raises goes to help Trails and Parks Foundations and the city overall,” said Annie McVay, with the city of Redmond.

Several vendors came to participate in the event. One of them, Battle Buddies Of Central Oregon, is a non-profit that trains dogs to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

“We figured, vets don’t get enough help,” said Michelle Flotz. “Thanks to vets, we can have events like this. Animals don’t have enough homes. So if we could pair them up and help them both, we’d be excited.”

Battle Buddies Of Central Oregon is hosting a fundraiser on June 5th at the Astro Lounge in Bend. For more information visit their website: http://www.battlebuddiesco.org/