Mother's Day Lunch!

On May 8th, Ponderosa Elementary will celebrate Mother's Day by offering free school lunch to mothers, plus a surprise gift for Mom to take home! The student must be eating the school lunch that day and the lunch price for any visiting siblings is $2.25. One free adult lunch, per student, please!

Students have received a Mother's  Day themed coloring sheet with the May menus, and it included an RSVP for the mothers and siblings. The completed sheet and RSVP is due back to school no later than WEDNESDAY, MAY 2nd. The coloring sheet will also be available to print from the Bend La-Pine Schools Nutrition Services Web Site.

Our special of the day will be Gourmet Chicken Noodle Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwich made with freshly baked whole wheat bread, and fresh baked Apple Crisp for dessert; milk, juice, and a generous variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Please join us and celebrate our Moms of Ponderosa!

Support the Third Grade @ Ponderosa!

Save the Date!

BIKE, WALK, SCOOTER, OR SKATE TO SCHOOL!

Friday, May 18th!!!

Students are invited to meet at the neighborhood pool on the corner of Desert Sage and Rock Park (which is approximately two blocks off Purcell across from Ponderosa) at 8:15am. Students will then walk, bike, scoot, or skate to Pine Nursery Park with volunteers for a snack compliments of Travis Bryan State Farm and then report to Ponderosa by 8:30am.

Ponderosa has received a $3,000 Safe Routes to School mini grant which the Site Council is using for Safe Routes to School education. Come jon the fun! Parent Volunteers are Welcome!!!

Auction Items Still Available...

Ponderosa Parents,

 Thank you for your support of this fundraiser. It was a huge success. The PTA is very proud to announce that

WE RAISED OVER $12,300!

Thank you to all the parents and teachers that procured, donated items, and helped volunteer during the auction time. We could not have done this without each one of you!

Our goals were accomplished thanks to you. 

YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE!!

There are some items still up for sale.

Each item has a value, but it doesn’t mean we won’t take less. Make us an offer!  Prices are negotiable.  Please contact Molly Matteson to discuss further if you are interested. mollym@bendbroadband.com 541.633.9862

Northwest Potter’s Supply, LLC donated one on site electric pottery kiln inspection/diagnosis.  Limited to Bend, OR area only. Exp. 12/31/12.   Value $65

Farmers World Design donated a box of 100 attachable ear plugs.  They are reusable and made to fit any safety glasses to eliminate lost ear plugs.   Value $189

Dr. Adam Derr, D.C. donated a chiropractic consultation, orthopedic and neurological exam, x-rays if needed, followed by treatment.  Exp. 6 mon. from purchase. For  person. Value $350

Smith Martial Arts donated a women’s only kickboxing lessons for 2 people, ages 13 and up. 1 month. Classes held T, W, TH from 5:30-6:15PM.  Exp. 10/31/12 .  Value $140

Language Institute donated one month’s tuition in any foreign language immersion pre schools, up to 3 days per week (max $435). Choose from Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, or French.  Preschools programs are for student’s age 3 through Kindergarten.  Value $435

The Wonder Years Preschool donated 2 weeks of before and after school care

(1^st-5^th) and/or 2 weeks of preschool/childcare (3yrs-12yrs) up to 10 hours/day.  Value $370

REI donated a weekend of camping equipment use.  Pick up items Friday and return on Monday night.  Includes; 1 6 person tent, 5 sleeping bags, 5 Trekker pads, 5 back packs, 1 Coleman stove.  Exp. 12/31/12   Value $370

State Farm/Travis Bryan & 541 Media. This package is great for someone with a small business. It includes advertising from 541 Media Group, publishers of the Bend Rental Guide, Mature Living Choices, and the Real Estate Book in Central Oregon. Also included is a computer bag, US road atlas, and a Business Insurance and Financial Review from Travis J Bryan State Farm Insurance. It could be just want your business need for a little extra boost this Spring. Value $355

Tax Connection/Monique McCleary donated 1 hour of consultation and tax review.  Value $100

ALL MONIES GO DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOL 100%. Check/cash only.

Let's Do This!!!

Are

You

Ready?

It is Auction Eve! I can imagine each and every one of the Auction Committee members are all snug in their beds, getting a good nights rest before tomorrow's festivities! Imagine for a moment... the Auction Committee has been hard at work since January bringing you the biggest event of the year! Take a moment tomorrow night, as you look around that gym - and imagine all the countless hours that went in to making this event a success for our sweet, little faces of Ponderosa! Growing Dreams is what the PTA is all about!

BIG THANK YOU TO THE PONDEROSA PTA

FOR THEIR COMMITTMENT AND

DEDICATION TO OUR CHILDREN!

WE APPRECIATE YOU!!!

The procurement committee hit the streets in January. This year, we added a social media aspect to the auction and were able to offer free advertising by way of our blog and a network link to Facebook! Would you believe when we started - we had only THREE friends on Facebook... two if which were Admins? Way to go Ponderosa! Social Media at it's best, because today we are up to 86!!! Our Donors have loved the idea of social media networking, so we will continue to build on this, and we will keep the blog active throughout the year!

Please make sure to join us tomorrow night at 5:30 when we open up the Auction! You will not be disappointed! We look forward to seeing you! Remember - at Ponderosa - We Grow Children Here and we can't do it without your help!

LET'S FEATURE - Five Pine Lodge!!!

You all remember the March Madness Madness, right? We had to work to win a fabulous get away package from Five Pine Lodge on Facebook? Well... that's right - if you hadn't heard - we won the package! I think it's valued at over $700!!! That's right! Get thee to the auction parents! Have you heard? It's tomorrow night!!!!

So Five Pine Lodge, eh? Yeah! It's in a word? AMAZING. OK, there's more words. Beautiful. Breathtaking. Gorgeous. I could go on and on. I'm bidding on this package.I need a mini getaway! ;)

"Five Pine Lodge is a unique and one of a kind Central Oregon romantic destination and is so much more than just a hotel. With the personal touch of a bed and breakfast, the privacy of romantic, cozy cabin and all the amenities of a resort, Five Pine is the ultimate getaway. Our guests love the architecture, attention to detail and the service they receive. We are a top rated hotel on Trip Advisor (#2 in the State!) and a 4 Diamond Property as well. We enjoy supporting local organizations and schools!"

Thanks, Five Pine for the opportunity and contest on Facebook! We appreciate you!

LET'S FEATURE - Feingold Home!!!

Having been in the furniture industry, both wholesale and retail, for over 33 years, Cliff Feingold knows a bit about catering to the needs of families in Bend and helping us design a space that you'll want to call home.

Feingold Home has been in business here in Bend since 2007. They are unique in that they offer the lowest prices in the state of Oregon - guaranteed! They offer "Nordstrom" like service at Feingold. They carry all furniture, bedroom, dining room, sofas, rugs, lamps, pictures, mirrors, fabric and leather upholstery.

Their customers have grown to love the intimate design service and full one on one attention to them. They provide free, in home consultations for assistance in design and decorating.

Feingold home feels compelled to support causes like the Growing Dreams Auction because of the benefit to the community.

Thanks, Feingold Home - for helping the Ponderosa children Grow our Dreams!

LET'S FEATURE - Fluxx Massage Therapy

Fluxx Massage Therapy has been in business here in Bend since October of 2009 and is owned by Emily Poole, a parent of students at Ponderosa. Emily has recently expanded her services she provides and by becoming certified through the ACSM as a Health Fitness Specialist so that she can offer Personal Training to her clientele.

Emily enjoys working with people of all ages and backgrounds. her clientele ranges from elite athletes to the 80 year old man or woman receiving massage for the very first time. As Emily states, "I have a relaxing office downtown, but I also love to travel around town accommodating the needs of my clients. Whether I’m giving chair massage to students up at the college during finals week, in an office building giving chair massage relaxation happiness to hard-at-work employees, giving therapeutic massage in-home to someone with limiting disabilities, or spending hours in a host house giving leg flushes to teams of cyclists … I’m enjoying every minute!"

Emily is always happy to contribute to Ponderosa, if it means volunteering at school, or contributing to the auction. Thanks Emily and Fluxx Massage - we appreciate you helping Ponderosa Grow our Dreams!

LET'S FEATURE - Cafe Yumm!!!

Let's get to know Cafe Yumm!!! Such an "yumm"y  and awesome concept for a restuarant!!! Thanks Cafe Yumm for helping to Grow our Dreams at Ponderosa!

1. How long have you been in business in Bend?

Café Yumm! first opened in Eugene in 1997. Ten years later, we opened a location in the Old Mill District on December 20, 2007. This December we will celebrate our 5-year anniversary in Bend!

2. What makes your business unique to our community?

Café Yumm! creates a fun, eclectic environment with a clean, crisp aesthetic. Our restaurant offers our guests respite from their busy lives. We are focused on serving beautiful, delicious, nourishing™ food using locally sourced ingredients. In every decision Café Yumm! makes, we strive to balance the social, economic, and environmental factors of the Triple Bottom Line.

3. What do your customers love about your business and what keeps them coming back?

Café Yumm! serves beautiful, delicious, nourishing food in a comfortable environment by happy people. And, we are priced right. People taste our food and exclaim, “Yumm!” Our food is Soul satisfying… Deeply nourishing^®. Here are some comments from our guests in Bend:

“Café Yumm! is a perfect choice - I love your food! Delicious and nutritious is the perfect combination.”

“Love the bio utensils - hope it starts a trend.” - Levi, June 2011

“I LOVE CAFÉ YUMM. Your approach to food, health, business, and the environment proves that you can make a difference. Thanks, folks!” - Marina G., 2010

4. What inspired you to donate to our Growing Dreams auction?

Café Yumm! is proud to sponsor many non-profit education programs. Over the past 2 years alone, we have donated to over 25 public schools and other education programs. We also have a long history of supporting local and sustainable business practices.

5. Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about your business?

Did you know…

1.     Café Yumm! was born and raised in Oregon.

2.     Over 50% of our ingredients are certified organic.

3.     Café Yumm! built the first Gold LEED for Retail Certified Restaurant in the State of Oregon.

4.     We compost food scraps.

5.     Yumm! Sauce™ is sold at over 70 grocery stores in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California.

6.     Our take-out utensils are certified compostable and they are manufactured in Oregon.

LET'S FEATURE - Third Rock Roastery!!!

Many donors that have shared information about their businesses with me just share in a way, that I can't spin it any better, so the direct answers are what you need to see. Scott Hughes, Owner at Third Rock Roastery has some awesome plans in the future for his business and I just love what this local, company is all about.

Check them out and I urge you to support them as much as they have supported your students here at Ponderosa. Thank you  Third Rock - we appreciate you !

Let's get to know Third Rock...

1. How long have you been in business in Bend?  6+ years as Third Rock Roastery, however our roaster has been roasting for approximately ten years.
2. What makes your business unique to our community?  Our personal relationship with our clients and our ability to roast custom orders of coffee.  Also, we sell primarily single origin micro-lot coffee.
3. What do your customers love about your business and what keeps them coming back? The quality of our gourmet coffee and the ease of home/business deliveries as well as group educational gatherings.
4. What inspired you to donate to our Growing Dreams auction?  Our business is all about “supporting families around the world”.  What we mean by that starts in our name, Third Rock (Earth, for those of you who are confused) Roastery.  It was started with the primary goal to support our immediate family and allow us to better provide for our own children as a supplement income while in turn doing something our master roaster has a passion for - roasting coffee!  Although still a small company, our goal is to “go global”!  It has always been our intent for this business to use our successes and resources to give back to the farmers that we buy our green beans from and their communities, as well as our own.  Kind of our own way of “paying it forward”.
5. Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about your business?  We are truly a small local Bend company that is growing as we go and paying it forward one step at a time.  Some of our near future goals are an ecommerce webpage and literature that tells our story to allow people to better know of us.  It is our plan to educate our community to have a better understanding of the coffee roasting process and brewing options for maximum enjoyment!

LET'S FEATURE - Carthel Vacation Rentals

Carl Jansen, owner of Carthel Vacation Rentals has been renting his vacation properties since 1986. He has a 1000+ square foot cabin and a 600 square foot guest room. The rentals are 20 minutes from Mt Bachelor and the lakes in the Deschutes National Forest. The vacation rental customers can use the many mountain bikes, kayaks, canoes, cross country skis and snowshoes for free.

Guests love the Carthel properties due to the hospitality from the Jansen family - not to mention the outdoor space. The property is located on a 3 acre parcel in the woods.

The Jansen family was inspired to donate to the auction because Carl's granddaughter attends Ponderosa. Carl works in the forest products industry so the Ponderosa Elementary "tagline" is near and dear to his heart... "We Grow Children Here."

Check out the properties on the Carthel Vacation Rental website. You will not be disappointed! Thanks, again, Carl for helping Ponderosa to continually Grow our Dreams! We appreciate you!

LET'S FEATURE... Rockin Dave's Bagel Bistro!!!

Did you know Rockin Daves Bagel Bistro - is a team of Daves? And did you have any idea what community really means to these really awesome, rockin guys? I had no idea being new to the community myself! So, selfishly, writing this blog has fulfilled two things - learning about the community businesses for one... but then really getting to know how AWESOME these local business owners are. Keeping local, buying local, and really supporting local is so very important - and the two Rockin Daves are an exemplary example of this value!

Rockin Daves has been in business for only five year, but just after two had the unfortunate experience of a fire and had to rebuild. They are now thriving under a new name and brand.

Let me share with you the words from Rockin Daves...

"We feel that we live in the greatest "community" in the world based off the overwhelming support from the community we had after our fire.  That is why we give as much as we can to local groups and events, such as yours.  Our uniqueness comes from literally making almost everything from scratch.  We make corned beef, smoke pastrami, make the bread, make the chips, make the pickles.  We offer a ton of locally produced products, and are often seen supporting local, music events.  In a nutshell, we are local, and live the "support local" lifestyle."

Rockin Daves is a full service catering business as well. They can service a small home event, to a wedding or corporate event. "Big or small - we do them all!" They also have their off premise liquor license. I can honestly tell you I will certainly be visiting them now with my family! Bagels, pickles AND live music? All of my favorite things in one place!

Thanks, Rockin Daves - for helping Ponderosa Elementary Grow our Dreams! Rock on yourself!

LET'S FEATURE - Halligan Ranch Llama Adventures

Halligan Ranch Llama Adventures, is by far, the most unique donor I've written about yet! Where else can you go on a hike, and have a pack of llamas join you, carry your gear, and help you see the gorgeous sights? Yes, you guessed it! Right here and only here in Bend!

Halligan Ranch has been raising and selling llamas in Central Oregon since the mid-eighties. They have had the llama packing business for 10+ years. They are the only ranch permitted by the USFS to take people with llamas into the wilderness areas of the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests.

Customers love going to the ranch simply because they love the llamas and the fact that they don't have to carry anything! The llamas do it for them! The Halligans encourage you to experience a hike with one of their Llamas. Check them out!

Thanks, Halligan Ranch! We appreciate you!

LET'S FEATURE - Picture Perfect Portraits

Get to know Lyssa with Picture Perfect Portraits...

"We moved to Bend about 10 months ago and we LOVE it here. I also had a photography studio in Idaho where we moved from. I Love taking pictures! It's been something I have had an interest in since I was in High School. I am able to do indoor portraits or outdoor along with on location portraits. I think pictures are irreplaceable but shouldn't cost a fortune to get them. The things my customers like most is you don't have the stress of going to a studio where you have to wait in line and be rushed in and out. It's a customized session counter around what they want and on their time. I donated to the Growing Dreams Auction because my children attend this wonderful school. I have experience in weddings and senior pictures along with group photography."

Thanks Lyssa! We appreciate parents like you that contribute to the needs of your children at Ponderosa!

LET'S FEATURE..Landsystems Nursery!!!

Landsystems Nursery has been in business in Bend for over 30 years. Owned by Gary English, he has cultivated a business clients have grown to love!

Landsystems grow plants in Central Oregon so they will do well in our very high maintenance climate! The associates at the nursery love to share their passion for plants and gardening and want to see it grow in the community. They are more than just a nursery. They offer landscape services from design to maintenance that will meet the needs of their clients as their landscapes grow and flourish.

Landsystems Nursery associates have children and grandchildren that attend Ponderosa, so helping us Grow our Dreams is very hear and dear to their hearts! Thanks, Landsystems, for supporting the Growing Dreams Auction!

SHOUT OUT... Sign Pro Bend!

Super big PONDEROSA THANKS to SIGN PRO BEND for donating signage for the Auction event this Thursday and Friday! Keep your eyes open as you drop off or pick up your children this week! Thanks so much, Sign Pro - for your generous donation!

From Sign Pro... "Sign Pro of Bend has been serving Oregon since 1992 and we are now entering our 19th year.  We are Susie Decker, Tess Tompos and John Larkin and we opened shop with the knowledge that friendly and reliable sign products and service were hard to find. From the very start, we wanted to make sure that Sign Pro was operated just like a family business. “Customer service” is not just a saying but also the most important thing we can provide. Our staff is efficient, friendly and knowledgeable about all of our products and services.

Over the years we've grown substantially, but the values and principles that have made us such a valuable asset to so many businesses still remain.  If you need a sign, banner, digital printing, magnetics or any of our other fine solutions for business or personal use...we'll be here to help you through every step of the process.  We have made a conscious effort to make sure that we have the latest technical equipment advances in the sign business.

Visit Sign Pro today, or give us a call at 541-382-SIGN! We're here to serve you."

LET'S FEATURE - Cuppa Yo!!!

Sssshhhh. Ponderosa School PTA Blogger here. I have a little secret. Ready?

Ok.

Don't tell anyone. But I LOVE...

I mean LOVE LOVE LOVE Cuppa YO!!!!

I love it so much?

Sometimes... before school gets out?

On the way to picking up my kiddo?

I stop at Cuppa Yo and get a Cuppa Yo, yo -

ALL.FOR.MY.SELF.

And I do.not.share.it.

Nope. Yep. That's right.

I do!

Ssshhhh. I told you not to tell anyone!

I was SO excited when they agreed to donate to our auction because YO! HULLLO! That meant I would get to write about them. But then, well. Yep. It happened. I can't "one up" Stephanie of Cuppa Yo. Her answers were pretty spot-on to my lil' questionnaire Yo! So here it is, yo...

1. How long have you been in business in Bend?  We opened store numero uno (Newport Ave.) in June of 2010.  (PTA Mom here: Stephanie is way humble... umm, yeah, they have THREE Cuppa Yo locations now! WOAH Cuppa LOVE!)
2. What makes your business unique to our community?  We truly appreciate our customers and understand that they are what make our business successful.  Because of this, we do our best to give our community just as much support in return- and we think it shows! (PTA Mom again: Unique much... like them on Facebook? the updates make you want to run out in your jammie pants and get a pint of red velvet or cake batter at the thought of it! Maple Bacon? did someone say bacon?)
3. What do your customers love about your business and what keeps them coming back?  The Cuppa Yo concept from the beginning was to give the customer not only a delicious and quality product, but to provide them with an exciting experience that a person of any age would enjoy.  Mission accomplished. (PTA Mom again: yeah, I've been known to dress my kiddo accordingly, bribe her with cuppa, just to get a gorgeous photo shoot on hat adorable orange leather sofa, because the lighting in the afternoon is perfect - atmosphere is everything at Cuppa Yo!)
4. What inspired you to donate to our Growing Dreams auction?  Schools are such a key element to any community, so we feel that it is our duty to give back to the kids whenever possible!  (PTA Mom yep again: and this is why we love ya, yo!)
5. Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about your business?  Cuppa Yo is a 100% local business owned by two sisters and their husbands.  (Matt and Stephanie Gilstrap // Keith and Melissa Clayton) (Awww!!! PTA Mom loves this!!!)

Thanks to the Cuppa Yo family! We love everything about YO, you, well, and YO! ;)

LET'S FEATURE - Scentsy

Mark & Shannon King - King of Scents are your local Scentsy owners. They have been in business here in Bend for two and a half years. They have shared with me the following info about their business...

"Our business is unique in the community because you can work from home, set your own hours and be associated with a company who in 2010 was No. 19 on the Inc. 500 and No. 1 among consumer products and services companies.

We believe our customers like the quality and price of our product. In addition, we offer GREAT customer service!

We were inspired to donate to the Growing Dreams Auction because we love Ponderosa. Both of our kids attend Ponderosa and we know how important it is to stay involved with the local schools.

This is a great time to join! You can purchase a starter kit for $99 and be your own boss! According to Inc. 500, Scentsy began in 2004 and in 2010 its revenues were $381.8 million and had a 3-year sales growth rate of 2904%! "

Thanks to the King family for their support!

LET'S FEATURE - Diane's Riding Place

Diane Schmidt at Diane's Riding Place takes you and your family back to a simpler way of life, where the only sounds you hear is the cry of Eagles; breezes blowing through the Pines; the creaking of fine leather; clip-clopping of horses hooves on the trail; and, enjoying the breathtaking view of the Three Sisters, Mt. Jefferson, and Mt. Washington while riding horses on her spacious 20-acre ranch.

Diane has been in business in Bend since 1997.  Prior to moving to Bend, Diane and her mother, Vicki Schmidt had their business in the Valley. 

Diane comes from a horse-riding family and has been in the saddle since before she could walk.

Diane has a love for her profession and a love of teaching kids and adults of all ages to ride horses that cannot be surpassed by any other equestrian in Central Oregon.  Individual and group lessons are fun as well as educational and Diane matches the horse you ride to your riding ability.

Want to have a birthday extravaganza?  No problem, Diane will provide the fun, food and memories.

Diane's

Riding Place

provides a fun environment for kids at Summer Horse camp. At Horse Camp, the Campers learn how to care for a horse , groom, feed, bridle and saddle up; and, most importantly – RIDE!  This fun-filled week starts June 11^th and runs each week through August 31^st 2012.

Diane donated to Growing Dream Auction because she loves teaching children to care for and gain confidence in riding horses.

Please visit Diane's Riding Place website for more information.

Thanks Diane!

 http://bendhorseride.com

LET'S FEATURE...Lesley Barr Photography

We all know having a family photo session can be stressful, chaotic, and just plain unnerving for everyone involved! I can tell you when I checked out the images and website for Lesley Barr Photography - you can tell instantly - this is not what a family will experience in front of the lens with Lesley.

Lesley and her family have just moved to Bend from Las Vegas in May of 2010. Like most people that come to Bend, she found beauty in everything around her and felt this would be a gorgeous place to grow her business here in Bend.

Lesley has had no trouble growing her clientele here in Bend and will tell you her clients keep coming back to her because the memories she helps them create are "full of real life moments. The photos are fun. A photo session with me is stress free, fun, and most important, real! There is a lot of laughing, playing, joking, and talking. Things are relaxed and there is no pressure on the little ones to sit still and say "cheese". The real connections, smiles, laughs, and tears, that's what I capture and that's part of what keeps my clients coming back."

Lesley will be joining the community at Ponderosa this fall as she has twins that will be attending Ponderosa as Kindergartners. By donating and helping us Grow our Dreams, she felt this would be a perfect opportunity to become a part of our wonderful Ponderosa Family! WELCOME LESLEY! We are happy to have you at Ponderosa and we look forward to getting to know you and your family better! Thank you for sharing your business with us!

Please visit at her blog Lesley Barr Photography and check Lesley out on Facebook (Lesley Barr Photography) for updates, special deals, sneak peeks and more!

LET'S FEATURE... Kids World!!!

Kids World opened four years ago in Bend, in its current location. It is the only locally owned store carrying educational materials AND specialty toys, puzzles, games, puppets, and gifts. Customers keep coming back to Kids World because of the personalized service!

The owners at Kids World really KNOW the products and can speak to them and they are a "great on-the-way-to-the-birthday-party-stop because we have awesome free gift wrapping service!"
The Growing Dreams Auction is a bit more personal to Lori and Tim Hewitt - as they have children that attend Ponderosa and Mrs. Hewitt teaches third grade at Ponderosa! This family really appreciates the benefits this auction will bring - so when we contacted them, they were more than happy to help!

Customers keep coming back to Kids World even though the store is located off the beaten path. It's a great little secret in town we need to help the Hewitt's shout about! So make sure you visit Kids World! You will not be sorry!

LET'S FEATURE... Glass Gatherings!!!

As most of you know, a large focus of the Growing Dreams Auction this year, is on bringing the ARTS to our children at Ponderosa! When our procurement committee contacted Julia Christoferson of Glass Gatherings - we had no idea what a kind, generous donor she would turn out to be! You will want to get to know Julia and learn about Glass Gatherings! I can tell you, I am certainly interested in seeing what she does with our children! Check out the class project Mrs. Jones students come up with and read on to get to know more about Glass Gatherings!

Glass Gatherings is a fairly new business to Bend and was born out of an idea Julia had of learning the art and science of glass fusing. But she wanted to bring the art form to her clients. What better way to do so than by offering this at events and parties? So this is exactly what Glass Gatherings can do! Julia is able to bring art to the occasion for all levels of artistic ability. You leave the event with a unique, hand-crafted, one of a kind piece of art. As Julia shard with me, "Everyone I've ever worked with in creating fused glass art walks away with a project they love AND they want to make more! People new to fused glass experience great success. There is something very compelling, and I believe therapeutic, about working with glass. After a first experience, there is always something new to try whether it be using new or different colors, textures, shapes, designs, or simply a making different project. With fused glass the possibilities are infinite! Glass, once fired, can be mysterious too! Sometimes the outcome is not what was intended, but it's always beautiful! Some of my worst "mistakes" have resulted in some of my best work! That is what is wonderful about working with fused glass. That is why so many people want to come back. It's very easy to get "hooked". That's what happened to me!"
Glass Gatherings will come to birthday parties, bridal showers, corporate events, you name it - she has done events ages 3 to ages 84! There is something special about fused glass for all ages! Julia will customize any event to suit your needs.

Julia is a no stranger to the elementary school scene. She was an educator for 17 years, so she knew a little bit about fundraising and what teachers were faced with at the school level. She knew she could bring her passion for the arts and teaching to the school level very easily. Glass Gatherings has graciously agreed to donate time to our school during the month of May for a Kindergarten level art project - and - check out the art  project Mrs. Jones class will be auctioning off... I have a feeling it's going to be fabulous! ;)

Thanks again - Julia and Glass Gatherings! We know you are a new business in town relying simply on word of mouth - but its people and businesses like you that we need in a town like Bend! Ponderosa Elementary really appreciates your time, your TALENT, and your generosity! Thank you for helping us Grow our DREAMS!

LET'S FEATURE - Hydro Flask!

Everyone has one! They are all around town! Wait! What? You don't? You're not sure? Read on and then go get you one!

Hydro Flask began in 2009 in Bend by owner and CEO, Travis Rosbach. They are currently located on 9th and SE Wilson on the East Side of Bend. Hydro Flask does more than keep your drinks cool in the summer and warm in the chilly months - they give back to the community for every product purchased! For each flask you purchase, you may choose through Five Percent Back which charity or non-profit you want to help! How awesome is that?

The cool stuff? (pun intended!) Hydro Flasks are premium, double walled, vacuum insulated, stainless steel bottles. They keep cold liquids cold and hot liquids hot longer than any other bottles. Hydro Flasks are BPA-Free, lightweight, durable, sweat-proof, freeze-proof, recyclable, and come with an unconditional, lifetime warranty! WOW! This is an unbelievable purchase, my friends!

Our friends at Hydro Flask were inspired to donate to Ponderosa because they truly believe that giving back to the community in which they live is helping to make it a better place! While Hydro Flask does most of their business by shipping from Portland, they love visitors in their Bend location anytime! Summer is quickly approaching! Stop by and stock up!

Thanks again, Hydro Flask!

LET'S FEATURE - Bend Pain Relief

Dr. Adam Derr, D.C. with Bend Pain Relief is a parent at Ponderosa Elementary and we want to thank him for his eager and generous donation and support of the Growing Dreams Auction! I interviewed Dr. Derr via email and I cannot put his responses into better words, so will share with you directly what he has shared with me. Please check out his site and give him a call if you need any assistance!

Dr. Derr has been practicing in Bend for the past six years. Read on to get to know more about his beliefs in pain relief and his practice...

"I believe that I am unique to the Bend community in that I take a very active role in getting people healthy and back to activity. With Bend being such an active town and offering endless opportunity for people to ski, snowshoe, mountain bike, hike, and explore etc. etc. I provide a healthy and natural treatment option that allows them to get back to activity and the things they want to do. As a chiropractor I treat the cause, educate the patient and teach them how to control or even fix their problems without taking pills.

My patients love the one on one time I give them. They also enjoy the atmosphere of my practice, we have massage chairs, and energetic and happy staff members, we truly cater to my patients needs. My patients that have chosen to have chiropractic as part of their overall health plan come back because they feel great after care, they experience increased energy, stamina, less stress, better sleep quality and an overall better outlook on life. 

I love to donate my services for charity. Growing Dreams is simply a great thing. If I can help support other business or groups that have a good goal and mission, and in return I get to expose someone to the benefits of chiropractic care we both win. If it wasn't for my son Gavin who is in Mrs. Brown's Kindergarten class I never would of known about Growing Dreams.

Chiropractic care for some reason is feared or often discarded when people really need it. I love getting these patients and educating them on what chiropractic care does and how it can help them. My patients chose to come to me. I don't force care or require excessive or long term care. A consult to learn more about what I do is always a smart choice when someone is hurting or wants to experience better health and function."