Bend Park and Recreation District manages Bend's parks, trails, and recreation facilities, including Juniper Swim & Fitness Center, Larkspur Community Center, and the Deschutes River Trail, and offers year-round sports, fitness, youth, and senior programs for residents of all ages and abilities.
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers coach youth sports, help care for parks and trails through project days (weeding, litter cleanup, trail maintenance), and support recreation programs — including teen-specific roles like Cougar Camp counselors, Junior Lifeguard and Swim Instructor Aides. Read more ›
Who can volunteerPreteens (10–12)Adolescents (13–18)Adults (19+)Older adults (65+)
Heaven Can Wait 5K is Central Oregon's walk and run for breast cancer awareness, founded in 2000 by breast cancer survivor Charlene Levesque with the Central Oregon Running Klub. Read more ›
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers make race weekend happen, with shifts from Friday through Sunday: bib pickup and registration at FootZone in Bend and in Redmond, Saturday venue setup, and on race day course marshals, water stations, course… Read more ›
Who can volunteerFamiliesGroupsCorporate / Workplace GroupsPreteens (10–12)Adolescents (13–18)Adults (19+)Older adults (65+)
Friends of the Central Cascades Wilderness is a Bend-based volunteer group that helps care for the Three Sisters, Mount Washington, and Mount Jefferson wilderness areas on the Deschutes National Forest, partnering with the Forest Service to keep wilderness trails open and teach visitors to protect these wild places. Read more ›
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers join wilderness trail crews, with volunteer sawyers using crosscut saws to clear downed trees from wilderness trails where chainsaws aren't allowed, and serve as wilderness stewards who educate visitors at trailheads and on the trail. Read more ›
Who can volunteerAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
The Crooked River Roundup is Prineville's signature summer event, a week of PRCA professional rodeo and pari-mutuel horse racing at the Crook County Fairgrounds each June that draws more than 450 contestants from across the country. Read more ›
Volunteering looks likeA volunteer board and crew put on Roundup week each June, and community volunteers help with gates and ticketing, parking, concessions, the horse races, arena and grounds work, and the Roundup Parade through downtown Prineville. Read more ›
Who can volunteerGroupsAdolescents (13–18)Adults (19+)Older adults (65+)
Oregon Adaptive Sports provides life-changing outdoor recreation for people with physical and cognitive disabilities. Founded in 1996 as the Central Oregon Adaptive Ski Program, it now runs year-round, with adaptive alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing at Mt. Bachelor and Hoodoo in winter, and cycling, mountain biking, kayaking, and golf in summer. Read more ›
Volunteering looks likeHundreds of volunteers make OAS run. In winter, trained volunteers coach and assist athletes on the slopes at Mt. Bachelor and Hoodoo, including one-on-one coaching for local students in the Ski for Life program. Read more ›
Who can volunteerGroupsAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
Camp Makualla is Pacific Crest Council's Scouting summer camp and high-adventure base on the shore of Crescent Lake in the Cascades and Deschutes National Forest. For generations, Scouts have spent summer weeks here swimming, boating, and earning merit badges, with high-adventure programs for older Scouts.
Volunteering looks likeOlder Scouts and young adults serve on summer camp staff teaching merit badges, aquatics, and outdoor skills, and adult volunteers lead units at camp, teach programs, and join work parties that open, maintain, and improve the camp each season.
Who can volunteerGroupsAdolescents (13–18)Adults (19+)Older adults (65+)
DogPAC works to create and care for off-leash dog parks and trails in Central Oregon, partnering with parks and land managers, building and maintaining facilities with volunteers, and educating dog owners about responsible off-leash recreation.
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers help build and maintain Central Oregon's off-leash dog parks and trails — hands-on projects like fence repair, trail upkeep, and park improvements. Read more ›
Who can volunteerGroupsAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
Bend Bikes is a grassroots advocacy group working to make Bend a safe, connected, and welcoming city for people who bike and walk, advocating for better bike infrastructure and policy and hosting community rides and events.
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers lead or help with community rides and bike events, staff tables and bike valets, support advocacy for safer streets by attending public meetings, and help with outreach.
Who can volunteerAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
Vámonos Outside ("Let's Go Outside") connects, engages, and inspires Latinx families and community members across Central Oregon to explore the outdoors, removing cultural and cost barriers with bilingual programs. Read more ›
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers help lead and support outdoor outings for Latinx youth and families, such as hikes, snow days, climbing nights, and nature festivals: assisting trip leaders, helping with gear and logistics, driving support, and welcoming participants. Read more ›
Who can volunteerAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
Produces more than 20 annual festivals, races, and community events in Central Oregon (including Oregon WinterFest and Bend Summer Festival), donating a portion of proceeds to local nonprofits and supporting local journalism.
Volunteering looks likeVolunteers help staff Lay It Out's festivals and races throughout the year, assisting with event setup and teardown, registration, vendor and beer garden support, and course monitoring at races.
Who can volunteerGroupsAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
Physical activity-based youth development program that inspires girls in 3rd through 8th grade to recognize their strengths through fun, interactive lessons led by trained volunteer coaches. Teams meet twice a week after school each fall and spring and finish the season with a 5K. Read more ›
Volunteering looks likeVolunteer coaches lead small teams of girls through a 10-week season of lessons that blend running and games with life skills, ending with a celebratory 5K. Read more ›
Who can volunteerAdults (19+)Older adults (65+)
Central Oregon Running Klub (CORK) is a Bend nonprofit running club that brings runners of all abilities together through group runs, races, and events, and gives back to the region's trails as a partner in local trail stewardship.
Volunteering looks likeMembers and friends volunteer at club races and events, help lead group runs, and join trail work days with Deschutes Trails Coalition partners to care for the trails runners use.
Who can volunteerGroupsAdolescents (13–18)Adults (19+)Older adults (65+)