Meal of the Year
Festive fundraiser at COCC opens doors of opportunity
With an elegant meal and a mission to open doors of educational access, the COCC Foundation
is hosting its annual fundraiser, Meal of the Year, at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 23,
at the college’s Mazama Gym in Bend. The event features live and silent auctions,
with an original oil painting by art professor Bill Hoppe featured among the items.
Tickets are $150 per person or $1,500 for a table of 10. For reservations and details,
see themealoftheyear.org or call 541-318-3783.
“The Foundation offered $1.6 million in scholarship support this academic year,” said
Zak Boone, the Foundation’s executive director, who noted that the figure was record-breaking
for the organization. “And Meal of the Year is a huge part of our effort toward that
end.” The annual black tie-optional fundraiser, with a four-course dinner prepared
by COCC’s Cascade Culinary Institute, first started in 1978.
Even before that, Jack McCown, now a retired COCC math professor, was a staunch supporter
of scholarships—he and his wife, Barb, a retired Bend-La Pine School District teacher,
have contributed to the Foundation scholarship fund since 1976 and are the event’s
honorees. “We hope to use this esteemed honor to continue to showcase the amazing
place that COCC is,” said Jack McCown, “and encourage others to invest in education
in Central Oregon.”
“The McCowns truly exemplify the best of our community and what the Meal of the Year
Award is all about,” added Boone. “It’s an unwavering support of education and its
transformative effects for students and their families, and support for a range of
causes across the region.”
In advance of college events, persons needing accommodation or transportation because
of a physical or mobility disability, can contact Joe Viola: 541-383-7775. For accommodation
of another disability, such as hearing impairment, contact Disability Services at
541-383-7583.
Image: Event honorees Jack and Barb McCown
