Nomad Charities is a non-profit organization based in Bend that seeks to improve the quality of lives of children who are homeless, exploited and orphaned by the devastation of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Kenya.

The story of Nomad Charities is ultimately that of its founders, twin sisters Janette and Jenn Hofmann. Both are longtime veterans of charity work who have devoted much of their lives and endless energy to helping others. The idea for what would eventually become Nomad was inspired by their work in various orphanages across the world and their continual desire to do more for those they wanted to help. Six years ago, the twins were in Africa doing humanitarian work and decided they wanted to get away from large non-governmental organizations that are often bogged down by administrative costs. “You never know where your dollar goes,” Jenn Hofmann said. “We knew we could make an impact if we picked one village. What we spend on dinner in Portland or Bend supports a family for five months.” Bend Rotary clubs have provided transportation and services with generous grants. Along with Rotary grants from National and International Rotary, the Rotary Club of Greater Bend, Mt. Bachelor Rotary Club, Rotary Club of Sunriver and Rotary Club of Sisters have contributed $37,000.

Parker Huffman, a 5th grade student in West Linn, Oregon is raising funds for Nomad Charities to help build a 36-bed orphanage in Kibwezi, Kenya by attempting to climb Africa’s tallest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro in September 2008. After Nomad’s “Climb For A Cause” he will spend the rest of the school year and his summer raising funds to help create an organic garden at the orphanage site and to help buy a school bus for both the orphanage and the community of Kibwezi. Many of Parker’s friends at school are helping raise funds for the climb. For more information or to make a donation call 541-318-6099 or visit the Nomad Charities website.

Central Oregon is getting ready for WinterFest. LibertyBank Bend, Les Schwab and Seventh Mountain Resort are getting ready to host WinterFest in downtown Bend starting Friday February 8th through Sunday February 10, 2008. The event center will be located in the area extending from Troy Field to the Library with additional events held at the Seventh Mountain Resort. The closest lodging to Mt. Bachelor in Oregon’s premier ski and snowboard area, the resort will also host a special ice skating performance and other winter activities. WinterFest attracted more than 40,000 visitors in 2007, and is expected to attract more residents and visitors this year. Created as a way to celebrate arts, culture and winter sports in Central Oregon. Seventh Mountain has festival packages available, with amenities such as 3 swimming pools, 3 hot tubs, a fitness center, and tennis and basketball courts. For reservations or information call 800-452-6810 or check out the Seventh Mountain website.

Beginning Friday evening, downtown bustles at the Winter Wine Hop with art, music, foods, and wine sampling. A fireworks show will kick off the weekend followed by entertainment in the festival center, cross country ski competition on Louisiana Street as well as the ever popular U.S. Cellular snowboard and ski rail jam competition on Troy Field.

Saturday, the festival is alive with family entertainment, including a fine food marketplace. The festival hub will feature ice carving competitions, more cross country ski racing and demos, art, and vendors. Later that evening is the ski and snowboard rail competition. The festival pavilion will be jammed with concert goers eager to hear a Northwest favorite, The Blakes.  A band based in Seattle, The Blakes have concert dates scheduled this winter throughout the entire west, from L.A. to Bozeman. They have a new CD out, and plans to tour Europe later in the year. They tell people who are new to their music:  “We don’t try to take the cool retro vibe to an extreme degree - we are as influenced by the Everly Brothers as the Kinks.” They recently opened for Blue October to a sold out crowd at Portland’s Crystal Ballroom. 

Sunday, the festival closes with a full day of activities including snow bicycle racing, shopping in the WinterFest Marketplace, delicious food at the food court as well as numerous children and family activities. The festival culminates with closing ceremonies and a drawing for the WinterFest grand prize — a trip to Hawaii. Admission to WinterFest is free. However, everyone is encouraged to buy a $6.00 WinterFest button for discounted admission into certain events. Buttons may be purchased at all LibertyBank and Les Schwab Tire Centers as well as various Bend locations. A portion of all button sales is donated to Girls Go Outside, a non profit organization based in Bend.  For a complete list of activities or more activities call 541-323-0964 or click on the WinterFest website.

Mavericks at Sunriver can be found within the premiere resort destination of Sunriver, Oregon. Winter sports are in full swing and Mavericks at Sunriver has vacation packages available with special rates. Offering residents and guests a full spectrum of fitness feature and recreational activities, this unique 30,000 square foot was recently expanded with a new Aquatics Center.  In addition to all the features of the original facility – rock wall, basketball, group classes, and high-end fitness areas – the Aquatics Center offers a one-of-a-kind surfing experience on the Flowrider™ – as well as a children’s’ sprayground, an outdoor spa and the only indoor deep water pool in Sunriver. The Mavericks website includes club videos and a virtual tour.

Mavericks members receive discounted rental rates for select properties managed by Sunriver Vacations. Central Oregon offers a wide array of winter activities from skiing and boarding. If the road is clear snow lovers are only a short drive from the front door straight up Century Drive to Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort. The site of a 9,065-foot volcanic cone famous for its downhill skiing, Mt. Bachelor is the first snowboarding pipe on the West Coast. For more information about vacation packages at the enhanced Mavericks at Sunriver call 800-544-0300 or visit the Discover Sunriver website.

Two prominent Bend resorts and hotels offer guests holiday packages for lodging and a New Year’s Eve Bonfire on the Snow on December 31, 2007.  Mt. Bachelor Village and McMenamins Old St. Francis School have designs for an expedition that puts visitors smack in the middle of Central Oregon paradise to welcome the New Year. With Bonfire on the Snow packages, guests can celebrate under the night sky and stars with luscious desserts and a hot drink in a stunning old-growth Hemlock forest.  Both hotels offer van service and discounts on holiday packages of various kinds.  Bonfire on the Snow packages include transportation, snowshoes, instruction and hot chocolate

Families that love skiing and snowboarding have traditionally spent holidays at Mt. Bachelor Village because it comes alive with festivities. Many snow enthusiasts praise the lavish space of River Ridge Condominiums with their spectacular Deschutes River views. To reserve lodging at Mt. Bachelor Village call 800-547-5204 or check out the website.

McMenamins Old St. Francis School has music, movies and good food during the New Year’s weekend. Friends and visitors rave about their pub, brewery and bakery, movie theater and elegant Turkish-style soaking pool. For reservations at McMenamins call 541- 382-5174 or Toll Free 877- 661-4228 or visit the McMenamins website.

Lucky guests will snowshoe a short way in the High Cascade Mountains with a tour guide to a serene spot in the forest and then snuggle up to a blazing bonfire. It all takes place in a unique amphitheater that was hand carved into the snow. Naturalists discuss history, ecology, nature and astronomy. Here and on this night nature and the stars are the main attraction. For more information about the New Year’s Eve Bonfire in the Snow, call 541-389-8359 or toll free 800-962-2862 or logon to the Wanderlust Tours web site.

Your kids know the holidays are approaching, right? Help your family start off the holiday season early with an enchanting musical, “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” at the Tower Theatre in Bend. This gala production is presented by the Children’s Music Theatre Group, a non-profit group in Bend that offers classes and opportunities in music theater productions. The play is live, and shows are on Saturday, November 11, 2007 at 7:00 PM and Sunday, November 12th at 2:00 PM. This musical fairy tale, based on the Academy Award winning film, is set in provincial France and is chocked full of comedy, drama, dance and exhilarating music. Music is by Alan Menkin and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. The message is love and its power to heal and change even the hardest of hearts. It stars advanced teen students and features the talented young performers of CMTG plus an orchestra of Central Oregon Symphony members. The production includes all the songs of the original animated film plus new songs for the stage. This is definitely an enchanted way to start your family’s holiday season.  For information call the Tower Theatre Box Office at (541) 317-0700 or visit TowerTheatre.org.

At The Shops at the Old Mill District Halloween is near. For kids and families, Halloween Festivities are the main attraction, on October 31, 2007 from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm in the White Tent, Center Plaza. The Shops at the Old Mill and Working Wonders Children’s Museum will present Ghoulish Slim, Build a Bug spiders and Pumpkin Painting Pandemonium. Afterward, kids can go trick or treating throughout the shops. The Hottest Dog and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory will provide concessions. Combining a classic downtown rhythm with a contemporary beat, The Shops at the Old Mill District is distinctive and dynamic. Located on 270 acres that formerly housed one of the largest sawmill operations in the world, the Old Mill District offers a rich history along with jaw-dropping mountain views and scenic river vistas.

The Sisters Harvest Faire on Saturday, Oct.13 and Sunday Oct. 14, 2007 will feature over 200 vendors selling quality handcrafted items which fills several blocks of this charming Central Oregon town. Admission is free.  The perfect fall outing for your family, the Faire features pottery, metal art, photography, painting, jewelry, clothing, furniture and home décor. You will also enjoy live entertainment, a food court, and Bad Ass Coffee, as well as other world famous local coffees. Hours are 10–4 both days. Sisters is only 30 miles Northwest of Mavericks at Sunriver, the premiere resort destination of beautiful Central Oregon. Offering residents and guests a full spectrum of fitness features and recreational activities with easy access to year-round outdoor activities, Visitors from all over the world stay at Mavericks at Sunriver, for golfing, fishing, whitewater rafting on the Deschutes River, hiking and bike riding on endless mountain trails. To schedule your family’s fall getaway call 541-593-2500.

Mt. Bachelor Village is starting to hum in our ears. Our family has traditionally spent Thanksgiving holidays skiing there. We are a ski family, but love snowboarding, Cross Country, and tubing equally. The village comes alive during the holidays, and we enjoy the atmosphere and festivities that make it a rewarding time to spend with family and friends. Our preference is to stay in one of the River Ridge Condominiums. We appreciate the lavish space, especially three bedrooms, which we share with our six kids.  Deschutes River views are spectacular and even on a snowy day you can see wildlife. There’s a gas fireplace, private hot tub and full kitchen, so we can prepare our own meals — except for the lodge’s not-too-be-missed Thanksgiving turkey dinner at Merenda’s or one of Bend’s fabulous restaurants. Make your reservations early; call: 800-547-5204

Bird watchers in Deschutes County have their last chance this month to view some of the state’s most sought after woodpeckers. Fall bird watching in Central Oregon is family fun at its healthiest. Look in recent burn areas for Lewis’s woodpecker, namesake of explorer Meriwether Lewis. Look for a dark-winged bird with pink belly and red face. Shevlin Park near Bend also provides a good opportunity to view the species. At Cold Springs Campground, four miles west of Sisters on OR 242 you can still see White-headed woodpeckers. You might also spot olive-sided flycatchers and several species of warblers that have been regularly seen this summer. You can look for young raptors on the wing in Central Oregon. Look for red-tailed Swanson’s Hawks and watch these fascinating birds hunt. Go to Fort Rock State Natural Area and Christmas Valley, about 70 and 90 miles southeast of Bend, respectively, to see exceptional bird action.  Agency Plains, north of Madras, is also a sure-thing viewing site. For all your questions about Bend outdoors call 541-330-5886 or 888-541-BEND (2363).

Who shot the sheriff? To find out you’ll have to sign up for Murder Mystery Weekend October 26th - 28th at the Lodge at Suttle Lake The Lodge is partnering with Buckboard Productions to present a weekend of Murder, Mystery & Mayhem. With a full moon to light your path on your search for clues, the lake will serve as your backdrop as you spend the weekend in search of whodunit. Hint: it’s not the butler! Join fun-loving folks and families for this special Halloween weekend mystery, and put your super-sleuth skills to the test. Special packages include: two nights lodging, Friday evening reception and dinner, all meals Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday. And of course, a weekend-long mystery. Space is limited. For information or for package pricing call 541-595-2628.