Focus Area
Sports & Recreation Volunteering in Central Oregon
Matching organizations, in a different order on every visit
Redmond Area Park And Recreation District
also known as RAPRD; Redmond Parks and Rec; The Hub; Cascade Swim Center
A special district providing aquatic and recreation programs, facilities, parks and trails in the greater Redmond area. RAPRD runs The Hub, its aquatic and recreation center, and offers swim lessons, youth and adult sports leagues, fitness, art and enrichment classes, summer camps and adaptive recreation.
Volunteer coaches are always needed for youth sports leagues; coaches complete a background check, concussion training and a pre-season clinic. Volunteers also support adaptive recreation programs and other youth programs, and roles range from coaching to grant writing. Community members can serve on the district's budget committee. Apply with the district's volunteer application; volunteers under 18 need a parent or guardian signature.
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. Held each fall at Redmond High School, it benefits Sara's Project, the St. Charles Foundation initiative supporting local breast cancer patients, and has raised more than $2 million for education, early detection, and patient support.
Volunteers 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 and finish-line cheerleaders, parking, merchandise, and cleanup. Most shifts run two to three hours, and some roles are open to volunteers as young as 12. Sign up for a shift online.
Destination Rehab helps adults living with neurological conditions such as stroke, Parkinson's, MS, and brain injury build confidence and independence through skills training, therapy-based programs, and adaptive adventures in the community and outdoors.
Volunteers assist adults with neurologic conditions during community outings and adventure-based activities, working alongside physical therapy staff to help participants build skills, confidence, and independence. No physical therapy background is required, just a willingness to actively support participants.
Bend Parks & Recreation
also known as Bend Park and Recreation District, BPRD
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.
Volunteers 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. Teen volunteers must be 12+; volunteers 18+ complete a background check. Applications and orientation are required for most roles.
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.
Volunteers 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.
The Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland, managed by the U.S. Forest Service out of Prineville, span forests, grasslands, rivers, and rimrock in Central Oregon, offering camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing on public lands.
Volunteers help care for public lands with trail maintenance, campground hosting, cleanups, invasive weed removal, wildlife and plant surveys, and visitor information, from one-day projects to seasonal roles.
Dirty Half
also known as Dirty Half Marathon
The Dirty Half is FootZone's trail half marathon on the national forest west of Bend, held each June. The 13.1-mile course leaves pavement for dirt and single track, with mountain views, finisher prizes, and an after-party. Proceeds from event shirt sales go to the Deschutes Land Trust.
A handful of race-day volunteers help keep this community trail race running smoothly each June. Sign up through FootZone's volunteer page, and watch for the next race's volunteer call in the spring.
Cascade Pacific Council, Scouting America
also known as CPC, Scouting America, Boy Scouts
Cascade Pacific Council, Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America) serves more than 7,000 kids and teens across 19 counties of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington through Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Sea Scouts, and Exploring. For Central Oregon it is the neighbor council to the north, and its Camp Baldwin in Wasco County, on the east side of Mt. Hood, hosts summer camp and horse adventures.
Adults lead packs and troops, serve as merit badge counselors, and help run camps and events. Volunteers also staff and support the council's camps, including Camp Baldwin near Dufur in Wasco County, and older youth serve as camp staff and in the Order of the Arrow. All adults complete Safeguarding Youth training.
Bend North Little League
also known as BNLL
Bend North Little League is a volunteer-run youth baseball and softball league serving kids on Bend's north side, offering teams from tee ball through the older divisions so young players can learn the game, build skills and friendships, and enjoy being part of a team.
Bend North Little League is run by volunteers. Parents and community members serve as managers, coaches, and assistants, umpires, team parents, and board members, and help with field prep, concessions, and league events. All volunteers complete a background check and Little League's required abuse awareness training before the season.
Sisters Rodeo Association
also known as Sisters Rodeo
The Sisters Rodeo Association produces the Sisters Rodeo, billed as "The Biggest Little Show in the World," a PRCA professional rodeo held each June since 1940 at its arena just outside Sisters. A stop on the Columbia River Circuit, the rodeo draws top cowboys and cowgirls along with a hometown parade, family events, and a weekend celebration of Sisters Country's Western heritage.
The Sisters Rodeo is put on almost entirely by volunteers. Each June, community members help with gates and ticketing, parking, ushering, concessions, the Sisters Rodeo Parade, the kids' events, and arena and grounds work, and many return year after year. Local rodeo volunteers also help staff the Columbia River Circuit Finals in Redmond each fall.
Girls on the Run Greater Oregon
also known as GOTR, Girls on the Run of Deschutes County, Girls on the Run Central Oregon
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. Girls on the Run Greater Oregon serves teams statewide, including Bend and south Deschutes County schools.
Volunteer 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. You don't need to be a runner; coaches work in teams of two or three, get full training and curriculum, and must be 18+ with a background check. Volunteers also help at the season-end 5K.
Adapt & Triumph is a nonprofit that removes barriers to fitness for people with disabilities, chronic conditions, and other adaptive needs. Partnering with local gyms, coaches, and healthcare professionals, it offers coached small-group strength and conditioning with built-in modifications, youth programs for kids and teens with adaptive needs, and a referral-friendly pathway from physical or occupational therapy into long-term fitness, with sliding-scale and scholarship pricing so cost is never the barrier.
You haven't seen them all yet. There are more organizations below.