Donation to expand athletic trainer access at C.O. schools
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregonhas made a $15,000 donation to The Center Foundation, the Central Oregon non-profit announced Monday.
The Center Foundationplaces certified athletic trainers in the Bend, La Pine, Sisters, and Prineville high schools, and provides outreach to rural and private high schools. Regence’sgift will help support sports medicine programs in local high schools and expand similar services to area middle schools.
“Safe participation in youth sports is an effective and fun way to instill the benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle at a young age,” said Scott Burton, Regence’s director of community and business relations. “Regence is proud to support The Center Foundation’s mission of elevating Central Oregon’s sports programs with access to specialized sports medical care.”
“Because of the generosity of community partners like Regence, our athletic trainers are at the schools every day, providing on-site medical services to over 3,000 high school athletes annually,” saidSonja Donohue,Executive Director ofThe Center Foundation. “They see kids in the training rooms, prepare them for competition, help rehab their injuries, and provide concussion identification and management for a safe return to play.”
The Center Foundation provides local high schoolsemergency care, rehabilitation, and management of sports-related injuriesat a value of over $400,000 annually. Working in concert with coaching staff, athletic trainers help create a safe and supportive environmentto keep Central Oregon’s young athletes healthy and active at no cost to students or parents.Physicians from The Center support this work through financial contributions and by donating their time on the sidelines of events.
About The Center Foundation
Formed in 2001 by physicians at The Center for Orthopedic & Neurosurgical Care & Research in Bend, Oregon, webelieve that keeping kids active and involved in sports is important to their overall physical, social, and educational development.The Center Foundation is Central Oregon’s only non-profit solely dedicated to providing sports medicine as a means to ensure youth are safe, healthy, and protected in an active lifestyle.To learn more visitwww.centerfoundation.org.
