Ten Friends gathering a big success

The phenomenal generosity of the Central Oregon community shone brightly once again at the Ten Friends Spring Fundraiser last Friday. With over 300 people in attendance at Aspen Hall in Bend, the fundraiser was deemed "an absolute success."

With nearly $22,000 raised for Ten Friends' projects in Nepal, the Sisters-based nonprofit is in a good position for cofounders' Mark Lamont and Rand Runco, as well as many friends' trips this coming summer.

"Having this volume of support going into the summer trip makes our projects so much more exciting," said longtime Ten Friends volunteer Mary Thomas. "We have people who are counting on Ten Friends for their education and for their future, and this money will allow us to continue to carry on with our projects."

The summer trip will consist of checking in on and monitoring existing projects, as well as laying the groundwork for the construction of new libraries.

But beyond the logistics of the projects and fundraising, what impresses Ten Friends volunteer Sally Benton is the remarkable connection that the Central Oregon community has built with Nepal.

"To have a community that supports a nonprofit in such a way is amazing," Benton said, adding that the organization has been supported not only monetarily but also with donations of food, beverages, music and time, all of which go into making the fundraisers a reality.

"The ability to see a child open their book and to see them reading to their parent is very rewarding. To see that parent reading to their neighbors, and so on, is even more so," said Benton. "Our money goes so far in Nepal, and it's incredibly rewarding to understand that we can help people help themselves, and allow them to become educated so as to make better life choices."

For more information visit http://www.tenfriends.org.