On Tuesday, May 2, 2023, our lunch program will consist of presentations from some of our local non-profits. Our own club member, Lauren Olander, will talk to us about Ronald McDonald House, where she is Chief Development Officer. Heather Dion, Executive Director of CASA Central Oregon, will speak to us about CASA (one of our Duck Race beneficiaries this year).

Signup for lunch here.

Lauren has been with Ronald McDonald House since 2018. Prior to that, she served as Director of Gift and Estate Planning for the American Cancer Society for 5 years. She received her Doctor of Law from Pepperdine, and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University.

Heather came to Bend in 2017 from the Willamette Valley, where she spent several years working in nonprofit communication and fundraising. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Lewis and Clark College and an MBA from Portland State University. Heather is thrilled to work for CASA because she believes that community advocacy and action can give every child a safe and permanent home. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, kayaking, cooking, and spending time with her family.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

On Tuesday, April 18, 2023, we’ll be having lunch at the Boys & Girls Clubs office at 500 NW Wall St., not at the Riverhouse, and our speaker will be Dr. Roger Sabbadini. Signup for lunch here or you won’t get any food.

Roger Sabbadini’s presentation is an untold and compelling true story of his father – an Italian refugee, Alessandro (Alex) Sabbadini, who escaped Fascist Italy to America on the eve of WWII only to return to fight in Italy with the U.S. 5th Army. He was with G-2 Intelligence and was one of the “Ritchie Boys.” Alex joined the fight for personal reasons – to liberate Italy and his Jewish family who were being pursued by the Fascists and the Nazis. The Sabbadini saga is also presented in the context of the long and rich history of Italian Jews. Alex Sabbadini’s personal photographs and other documents have historical value and contribute greatly to the unique character of the story.

Roger Sabbadini is an Emeritus Professor of Biology at San Diego State University and Co-founder of SDSU’s Institute for International Security and Conflict Resolution. Dr. Sabbadini is representing the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (OJMCHE). Dr. Sabbadini now lives in Bend, Oregon.

This meeting will both in-person at the Boys and Girls Clubs offices at 500 NW Wall Street, Bend, OR 97703, and virtual.

Join the Zoom meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, our lunch program will consist of presentations from local charities who’ve applied to be the beneficiary of our club’s share of this year’s Duck Race proceeds. Heidi Wright and the donations committee received a lot of great applicants, and have whittled that list down to just a few, and those will be pitching us on their programs/projects. Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

Join us on Tuesday April 4, 2023 at our normal meeting spot for new member biographies. This is your chance to hear all about our new members. Where they come from, what they did, where they going on their journey through life.

On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, our lunch speaker will be Dana Whitelaw, Executive Director of the High Desert Museum. Dana will be speaking to use about the High Desert Museum’s 40th Anniversary and masterplan.

Dana has been at the High Desert Museum for 14 years. In her previous life, she studied lemurs in Madagascar and studied non-human primates in South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and China. Through this work, she earned a PhD in Biological Anthropology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. A native Oregonian and self-described museum nerd, Dana became inspired by the work museums do to energize and engage visitors with the learning and discovery of academia.

Under Dana’s leadership, the High Desert Museum has become a Smithsonian Affiliate, experienced record attendance and was a 2018 finalist for the prestigious National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Dana serves on the boards of the Western Museums Association, the Central Oregon Visitors Association, Oregon’s Cultural Advocacy Coalition and Art in Public Places. She lives in Bend with her husband and two sons, and in their free time they ski, bike and run together.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

On Tuesday, March 7, 2023, our lunch speakers will be Fire Adapted Communities Coordinator Corinne Heiner and Deschutes County Forester Kevin Moriarty. They’ll be speaking on wildfires and Central Oregon communities.

Moriarty, who started in his new role in November, has served as a natural resources manager for Bend Parks and Recreation District since 2021. He previously worked for the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. Moriarty has a master’s degree in forest sciences from Colorado State University and bachelor’s degrees in general sciences, biology and environmental studies from OSU-Cascades and the University of Oregon.

Heiner, who also started in her new role in November, has wildland fire fighting and digital media experience. She worked for more than five seasons as a wildland fire fighter for GFP Enterprises. Heiner earned a bachelor’s degree in natural resources: forest fire and restoration and a minor in communications from Oregon State University’s College of Forestry.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, our program will be a presentation on the City of Bend Transportation Plan and improvements.

Presenting will be Garrett Sabourin (Principal Engineer), Eric King (City Manager) and Meghan Goss (Executive Assistant).

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

On Tuesday, February 14, 2023, our lunch speaker will be Bend Fire Chief, Todd Riley. He’ll be speaking on Bend Fire & Rescue fire and medical services, the increasing call volume and impact on emergencies in our region, why faster response times and more resources save lives.

Riley has more than 20 years in fire service with 16 of them at Bend Fire and Rescue. He became a full time firefighter with Bend Fire and Rescue in 2002, after previously serving as a firefighter/paramedic with the City of Sacramento. He was promoted to Fire Engineer in 2006, named Fire Captain in 2013 and was named Battalion Chief in 2016. In October 2019, he replaced retiring Fire Chief Larry Langston.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.

On Tuesday, February 7, 2023, our lunch speaker will be our club member Kit Carmiencke, who’ll be speaking about the connection between domestic abuse and concussions.

Kit is a charter member of Greater Bend Rotary and past president; co-founding board member of Bend Area Habitat for Humanity, and co-founding member with Oran and Janie Teeter of our sister city of Belluno, Italy. He’s served as chair of the board of the Family Resource Center, and served on committees and boards of state and national optometry groups. Integrated Eyecare was awarded Bend Small Business of the year in 2010.

With retirement from clinical practice in 2021, he found that “Living the Covid Dream” was less than fulfilling, so he began an extensive personal study of the neurobiology of concussions. This led to a greater understanding of the long-term consequences of head injuries, particularly for those groups at-risk for recurrent head trauma. He is working to develop a community program to quickly identify concussions of victims of domestic abuse at the site of the incident.

Signup for lunch here.

This meeting will both in-person at the Riverhouse (restaurant side), and virtual.

Join the Zoom Meeting here: RCGB Zoom Link

You can also call in to the meeting at (669) 900-9128 and enter meeting ID: 692 491 9146. If you’re asked, the passcode is 5110.

We will record the presentation for others who aren’t able to attend at noon.