Memorial Day Weekend is one of Bend’s busiest of the year. The long weekend attracts both tourists and competitors.
The Bend Memorial Day Bash is a major baseball tournament bringing 210 youth baseball teams from up and down the West Coast.
“It’s done as a fundraiser for the local Bend-LA Pine school District baseball and softball programs,” tournament organizer Drew Reiners of West Coast Premiere said.
Reiners says 50% of all proceeds from the tournament are donated to the school district. West Coast Premiere pays the schools to use their baseball facilities. Some revenue is also raised from concession sales.
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President and CEO of Visit Bend Kevney Dugan says these kind of events generate millions of dollars in revenue for the city.
“We know these events, these baseball tournaments, will generate about $2-3 million over the course of the three day weekend, between hotel stays eating at restaurants, gas. All the things that come with travel,” Dugan said.
Manager of Elly’s Ice Cream Jada Richwine says finding a seat in an establishment near any of the venues this weekend may be difficult.
“We’ll get the big rush of kids celebrating after their games. Locals and people from out of town build up the line and we get a bunch of business. You get one arm that’s stronger than the other one because some ice creams are harder than others,” Richwine said.
Reiners says the event has brought in between $35,000-$40,000 for the district in each of the last two years Bend has hosted the tournament.
Director of communications for Bend-La Pine schools Scott Maben says the funds are divided between every school in the district. Bend High School, for example, claimed $7,000 out of last year’s earnings.
