Debbie and Rudy Dory Named Citizen of the Year at Bend Chamber 2013 SAGE Awards

Several other businesses received honors: Steele Associates Architects LLC , BendBroadband, The High Desert Museum, PureCare Dental of Bend, OnPoint Community Credit Union and Let it Ride Electric Bikes LLC

Debbie and Rudy Dory were named the Citizens of the Year by the Bend Chamber of Commerce at the Chamber’s 2013 SAGE Awards Dinner Friday.

The Dory’s are well known figures within Central Oregon and are the proud owners of the family-owned neighborhood grocery store Newport Avenue Market. Debbie and Rudy continually explore innovative ways to support the community, raise awareness for causes, and create ways to help.

It’s their belief a healthy community starts and ends with the strength of its people. Because of this, Debbie and Rudy have been strong advocates with the Central Oregon Hunger Prevention Coalition as well as the Soup Bowl.

The Dory’s have also given over $445,000 in donations to food and related causes in Central Oregon since 1998. Volunteering in soup kitchens, helping the food bank stock shelves, parking a bus in the parking lot for customers to fill with donated food items or sponsoring a cookbook to be sold with all proceeds going toward feeding families/hunger has become the Dory’s passion.

The Citizen of the Year award was presented by Jim T. Lussier, the 2012 Citizen of the Year Recipient. Debbie and Rudy were not in attendance, but their daughter Lauren Johnson accepted the award on their behalf.

Other winners during the evening included:

• Small Business of the Year sponsored by Chase Bank – Steele Associates Architects LLC
• Large Business of the Year sponsored by US Bank – BendBroadband
• Nonprofit Organization of the Year sponsored by Ferguson Wellman Capital Management – The High Desert Museum
• New Business of the Year sponsored by Robberson Ford Lincoln Mazda – PureCare Dental of Bend
• Healthy Workplace of the Year sponsored by Johnson Benefit Planning – OnPoint Community Credit Union
• Entrepreneur of the Year sponsored by US Bank – Let it Ride Electric Bikes LLC
• Bend Chamber Board Award of Distinction and Excellence – BendBroadband
• People’s Choice Award sponsored by US Bank – The High Desert Museum

During the Gala, the Oregon Community Foundation also honored several nonprofits with grants! Six different organizations were honored with checks during the reception including: Bend’s Community Center, Deschutes River Conservancy, Education Foundation for Bend-LaPine Schools, Family Access Network, MountainStar Family Relief Nursery, and Oregon Adaptive Sports.

However, the night of giving didn’t stop there! The paddles were flying furiously as more money was raised for the Bend Chamber OSU-Cascades 50/50 Match Program. The Bend Chamber and the Oregon Community Foundation matched contributions from community members to further support making the dream of a four-year university in Bend a reality.