Central Oregon Sparrow Clubs

03/06/2026

This past Wednesday, we got to launch a new Sparrow Project at Pilot Butte Middle School, in Bend, for a sweet, yet strong and courageous, 11-year-old girl named Ivry. Ivry has been fighting for her life against cancer since 2023. She endured over a year of aggressive treatment, only for it to return once again. She'll be spending the next several months in Portland receiving chemotherapy, radiation, and preparing for a bone transplant.

Our goal was to launch this assembly for Ivry before she left so she could be sent off knowing that her entire school was behind her and that she was not alone in her battle. Let me just say this...the students at Pilot Butte understood the assignment! Many were decked out in pink (Ivry's favorite color), glitter, and western wear (Ivry is a cowgirl at heart)...small and sincere visual gestures of their support. But it didn't stop there. Students were silent as Ivry's story was shared...many sets of eyes welling up with tears. The assembly ended with a bang...loud cheers, applause, chants...a tidal wave of support.

The middle school years can be tough years for any kid, let alone a young girl who is fighting a disease that has physically altered how she feels and looks. And yet, Ivry stood in front of hundreds of her peers, bravely choosing to be transparently vulnerable...not just for herself, but in hopes that her story would give other kids the strength to fight through hard things they are facing.

It's what happened after the assembly still lingers with me...
- a 7th grade boy approaching me to thank me for being there. With tears in his eyes, he tells me that he lost his mother just 3 weeks ago. Having the opportunity to help Ivry is going to help him in his own grief. He let me give him a hug and I can still feel him hugging me back.

- a 6th grade boy, wearing a very large cowboy hat, enthusiastically running up to me asking if he can give Ivry $1000 that he had saved up at home. I praised his generous and kind heart. He told me, "Oh, I have the money...don't you worry about that!" I told him I believed him, but that I wanted him to have a conversation with his parents about this first ;) I was chuckling, but I was so deeply moved by the compassion and selflessness in this boy's heart.

- an 8th grade girl nervously approaching me, with tears running down her cheeks, telling me she felt so strongly about helping Ivry because she has experienced losing loved ones. She decided during the assembly that she was going to change the focus of her 8th grade project to make it all about Ivry in order to hopefully generate more support.

I could go on, but this post is already long enough. Here's my point: Yes, this assembly was about students helping Ivry...but this assembly was ALSO about Ivry helping her fellow students. Students are giving Ivry a sense of peace and support...Ivry is giving her fellow students a sense of deep purpose, and so much more. THIS is what I love most about the Sparrow Clubs program...it invites EVERYONE and ANYONE to wade into the deep waters of compassion and service, changing not only those who receive, but also those who give. I just love being in the presence of young lives being changed for the better!

To end this post, I want to sincerely thank our Central Oregon Community Club Sponsors who make experiences like these happen for the youth in our communities: Central Oregon Radiology Associates, P.C. Pahlisch Homes Inc. BASX, Summit Health Oregon, PacificSource Health Plans, Kendall Toyota of Bend, COPA (Central Oregon Pediatric Associates), Mountain View Heating Inc., SunWest Builders.,and The Weitzman Family Foundation.

03/06/2026

We are heartbroken over the news that this morning, Tegen...beloved Sparrow of Bend Senior High School, passed away. He was at home, in the arms of his adoring parents, surrounded by many who loved him. Our Sparrow family is grieving the loss of this sweet and incredible little boy who defied the odds for so many years, inspiring absolutely everyone while doing so. I ask that, in honor of Tegen and his family, you take a few moments to watch his Sparrow video below. Bend Senior High School has vowed to continue supporting this family throughout the school year on Tegen's behalf.

Students at Bend Senior High School adopt Tegen as their new Sparrow for the 2025-2026 school year.

12/19/2025

We love this! Thank you so mix, Cuppa Yo Prineville, for supporting Amazing Annie!

12/12/2025

On Friday, December 5th, students at Summit High School met their new Sparrow, Benjamin! Benjamin's story begins in China, where he was born with a cleft palate, along with a virus that is known to severely damage the liver. When he was 2 years old, he became the youngest part of the Carlson family through the blessing of adoption. In September of 2023, Benjamin was diagnosed with liver cancer, which eventually spread to his pelvis. Since then, Benjamin has been courageously fighting this battle with cancer and now, the students at Summit High School will be standing alongside him, cheering him on as he continues this fight!

Leadership students, wearing "Team Benjamin" t-shirts, featuring Godzilla (Benjamin LOVES monsters), made sure the family had a warm welcome as they arrived and during the assembly, the dance team even performed a choreographed routine to Benjamin's favorite song, "Raining Taquitos," which was a big hit! Students exploded with cheers and a standing ovation after watching his Sparrow video, and then he was given a basket of toys and treats, including his new favorite stuffed dragon, "Thunder." Summit High School students are going big for Benjamin!

Special thanks goes to Sparrow Advisor, Cami Bettencourt, and student Sparrow Ambassador, Emme Pofahl!

None of this happens without our generous and compassionate Central Oregon Community Club Sponsors: Central Oregon Radiology Associates, P.C., Pahlisch Homes Inc., PacificSource Health Plans, Mountain View Heating Inc., BASX, COPA (Central Oregon Pediatric Associates), Summit Health Oregon, SunWest Builders., The Weitzman Family Foundation, and special thanks to Kendall Toyota of Bend.

12/12/2025

"ELMER! ELMER! ELMER!," On December 4th, this chant rang loudly throughout the gym at Sage Elementary School, in Redmond, OR. This is the day that students learned about Elmer, a first grader at their school, who recently underwent a bone marrow transplant for a very serious blood condition called aplastic anemia. Elmer absolutely LOVES going to school and being with his fellow students and teachers...he even hopes to be a teacher when he grows up. Unfortunately, with Elmer currently in the hospital in Portland, he and his family weren't able to be at the assembly, but we recorded the entire thing to send to Elmer so he could see how much he is loved and missed...and most importantly...so he can know that he's NOT alone in this battle! There's just something super special about elementary school students believing that they can make a difference in this world! We are so proud of these students at Sage Elementary!

Special thanks to Sparrow Advisor, September James, for reaching out to us about Elmer and spearheading this project at Sage!

Thank you so much to our Central Oregon Community Club Sponsors who make experiences like these possible for students: Pahlisch Homes Inc., Mountain View Heating Inc., BASX, Kendall Toyota of Bend, Central Oregon Radiology Associates, P.C., PacificSource Health Plans, SunWest Builders., COPA (Central Oregon Pediatric Associates), Summit Health Oregon, and The Weitzman Family Foundation.

12/11/2025

December 4th's Sparrow Launch Assembly at Bend Senior High School was POWERFUL! Students met their new Sparrow Tegen, known as "Tegs" by his loving family and friends. Here's a few details about Tegen:
- He was born in Ethiopia, and at 9 months old, he was found abandoned in a ditch near a market, covered in cigarette burns.
- Shorty after, an incredible couple named Jennifer and Mike Crooks met Tegen and immediately fell in love with him. They adopted him and brought him home to the United States.
- Tegen has many serious and complex medical issues, the hardest and scariest one being an ultra-rare neurodegenerative disease called CLN1 Batten Disease.
-Most kids with this disease pass away before 5 years old...but at 10 years old, Tegen has defied the odds.
-There is a gene therapy cure, but currently, there are only 8 doses of this cure in the world...and Tegen's family is fighting hard for him to receive one of them.
-In the midst of all of this pain and hardship, Tegen is a light and an inspiration and today...his story, and who he is, impacted hundreds and hundreds of young lives.

The video below is only 20 seconds of an explosion of compassion that felt like it lasted for 3 minutes (and believe us, the video doesn't adequately convey the volume and intensity of that moment). Students were cheering, stomping, chanting, crying...their hearts SO full of compassion and love! We're so proud of these students and we can't wait to see the many ways compassion is going to manifest throughout Bend Senior High School during the rest of this school year. Special thanks to our BSHS Sparrow Advisor, Kevin Cooper!

And of course, this program wouldn't even get off the ground without our generous and compassionate Central Oregon Community Club Sponsors, who fund these projects, giving students opportunities to be part of something greater than themselves Thank you, Mountain View Heating Inc., BASX, Kendall Toyota of Bend, Central Oregon Radiology Associates, P.C., Pahlisch Homes Inc., PacificSource Health Plans, SunWest Builders, The Weitzman Family Foundation, and a very special thank you to Summit Health Oregon and COPA (Central Oregon Pediatric Associates).

12/11/2025

Once again, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind of Sparrow Clubs activity! On December 3rd, students at Crook County Middle School, in Prineville, OR, met their new Sparrow, Bryson! It didn't take long for the entire student body to fall in love with this little guy and his adorable personality as they learned his story about being born with several serious heart conditions. Both of Bryson's parents attended Crook County Middle School, so it was a bit of a special homecoming for them! We are so proud of these students and can't wait to see the many ways that they choose to step into compassion for Bryson and his family! Go Colts!

We want to continue to thank our generous Central Oregon Community Club Sponsors, who make these opportunities possible throughout Central Oregon schools: Summit Health Oregon, COPA (Central Oregon Pediatric Associates), Mountain View Heating Inc., BASX, Kendall Toyota of Bend, Central Oregon Radiology Associates, P.C., Pahlisch Homes, SunWest Builders, The Weitzman Family Foundation, and a very special thank you to PacificSource Health Plans.

11/22/2025

Ridgeview High School knows how to "Sparrow!" Recently, students at Ridgeview High School, in Redmond, had the opportunity to step into compassion for their new Sparrow, baby Jett! Jett turned one year old in September and has been diagnosed with a mitochondrial disease called Leigh Syndrome, that causes the central nervous system to degenerate. Currently, there is no cure and Jett's loving family makes the most out of every second they have with their precious baby boy. It's safe to say that Jett's "family" is now a lot bigger as it includes the entire Ridgeview school community! Upon learning Jett's story and being challenged to make a difference in his life, students lept to their feet in a standing ovation that seemed to have no end. I was so choked up by the raw and sincere show of love and support that I had a hard time finishing up the assembly! We are so proud of these students and we can't wait to see the difference they make for Jett and family, as well as the impact that Jett makes on all of them.

These life-changing experiences can't happen without the compassionate support of our Central Oregon Community Club Sponsors whom we are so grateful for: Summit Health Oregon, Mountain View Heating Inc., BASX, COPA (Central Oregon Pediatric Associates), Kendall Toyota of Bend, Central Oregon Radiology Associates, P.C., Pahlisch Homes Inc., PacificSource Health Plans, SunWest Builders, and The Weitzman Family Foundation.

11/22/2025

It's been a whirlwind of Sparrow Clubs activity the last few weeks with so much good stuff happening that we haven't had a chance to post it all!

Last Friday, students at Caldera High School, in Bend, had a very special opportunity to adopt one of their own as their new Sparrow! Mia is a sophomore at Caldera, is known for her sweet nature and joyful personality, and is beloved throughout her entire school community. This past September, Mia was diagnosed with leukemia and has been aggressively fighting with everything she has. The day of the assembly, she was at Doernbecher Children's Hospital receiving rounds of intense chemotherapy. Her mom, Callie, was there in her stead to take in all the love and support on Mia's behalf...and let me tell you...there was A LOT of love and support! We are so incredibly proud of Caldera students for enthusiastically stepping into compassion for Mia and we are also incredibly honored to be a small part of Mia's circle of love and support.

We want to sincerely thank our Central Oregon Community Club Sponsors who opportunities like this possible for families and students: Central Oregon Radiology Associates, P.C., Pahlisch Homes Inc., PacificSource Health Plans, Summit Health Oregon, Mountain View Heating Inc., Kendall Toyota of Bend, BASX, COPA (Central Oregon Pediatric Associates), The Weitzman Family Foundation, and a special thank you to SunWest Builders.

11/20/2025

Steele Haugen with Central Oregon Daily News just did a GREAT story about our new Sparrow Clubs Project at Crook County High School in Prineville! It makes us tear up listening to the student talk about how having the opportunity to help Annie has changed the atmosphere of the school 🥹

Annie is impacting these students as much as they are impacting her! Thank you Annie for being such an inspiration to all of us!

Sparrow Clubs not only provides financial and emotional support for children and their families in medical need, but also empowers kids to help others through charitable service in their communities.

11/13/2025

Last Friday, students of Highland Magnet School at Kenwood, in Bend, met their new Sparrow, Rose! These kids were so eager to meet Rose and they paid close attention as they learned about Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome...the ultra-rare genetic syndrome that impacts Rose's entire body. Throughout the assembly, the hearts of these sweet kids were bursting with compassion for Rose and nearly all of them took turns waving to her and saying "hi" as they left the gym after the assembly. We are so proud of these kids and wait to see all the ways they step into compassion for Rose and her family throughout this school year!

Again, we want to thank you so much to our Central Oregon Community Club Sponsors who make this life-changing program possible: Central Oregon Radiology Associates, P.C., Pahlisch Homes Inc., PacificSource Health Plans, Sunwest Builders, Summit Health Oregon, Mountain View Heating Inc., Kendall Toyota of Bend, BASX, COPA (Central Oregon Pediatric Associates), and The Weitzman Family Foundation.