Holiday Recycling Tips

This time of the year with gifts, holiday cards and catalogs, it can be difficult to figure out which items can be recycled and which ones are non-recyclable.

Holiday items you can recycle:
* Regular gift-wrapping paper * paper shopping bags * gift boxes * holiday cards and envelopes
* packing paper & cardboard packing pieces * holiday catalogs and advertisements

Holiday items you can’t recycle:
*Liners and tissue paper from shopping bags and shoe & gift boxes * ribbon * foil backed wrapping paper * plastic bags and wrappers * Styrofoam packing peanuts *rigid Styrofoam

Most mailing services will accept clean, bagged Styrofoam peanuts for reuse.

Christmas Tree Recycling Information

Boy Scouts troops 18, 25, 23, 60 and 460 will be collecting Christmas trees for recycling in your community on the weekends of December 31 & January 1 and January 7 & 8.

Individual Troops will post door flyers specifying which days they will be picking up trees in your neighborhood, starting mid-December. If you do not receive a flyer or need further assistance, please call and leave a message using the phone numbers below;

541-385-3977 for pick-up SW Bend; west of 3rd street and south of Newport/Greenwood

541-385-2692 for pick-up NW Bend; west of 3rd street and north of Newport/Greenwood

541-385-2672 for pick-up NE Bend; east of 3rd street and north of Greenwood/Highway 20

541-385-3942 for pick-up SE Bend; east of 3rd street and south of Greenwood/Highway 20

Please have trees cleaned of all lights, decorations, tinsel and out of the stand. Place trees at the end of the driveway by 9:00 a.m.

A tax-deductible donation of $5.00 is greatly appreciated. Make your check payable to “Boy Scouts of America.” Place the donation in a plastic bag and securely attach it to your tree with a rubber band. Proceeds go directly to Scouts and support their programs.

At no charge Deschutes Recycling, located at Knott Landfill, will take Christmas trees Monday - Saturday, through January 31, 2012. Trees cannot have tinsel or flocking.

City of Bend - Yard Debris Service

December & January Collection Schedule:

Bend Garbage & Recycling's city of Bend yard debris customers will be on a on-call service for the months of December & January.

Customers can call whenever their cart is full..... Contact Bend Garbage & Recycling for up to two collections per month, collection will be on Friday. Use the yard debris cart for your Christmas tree, pine needles, and raw fruits & vegetables.

Regular every other week schedule will resume February 2012. For more information contact Bend Garbage & Recycling @ 541.382-2263.

Holiday Collection Schedule

Bend Garbage & Recycling collects on all holidays except for Christmas Day and New Years Day. This year, Christmas Day and New Years Day both fall on Sunday which means there will be no interruption in your garbage & recycling collection schedule. Please have your carts out by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day.

Bend Garbage & Recycling office will be closed December 26 and January 2.

Thanksgiving Day Collection Schedule

On Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2011, Bend Garbage & Recycling's collection schedule will operate as usual. Please have your carts out by 6:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Bend Garbage & Recycling's office will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and will reopen on Friday, November 25 at 8:00 a.m. 541-382-2263.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Bulky Item Cleanups

What is Bulky Waste?

Bulky waste can translate to anything that won’t fit in your garbage container. Bend Garbage & Recycling provides bulky item cleanups to residents within their service area.

You can schedule Bend Garbage & Recycling to come and collect bulky items like refrigerators, couches, televisions, garage clean outs, debris and more.

For more information please call 541-382-2263.

Half Price Yard Debris Recyclilng Event

October 31 - November 12,2011, residents can recycle their yard debris at Deschutes Recycling for half price ($2.00 per cubic yard).

Deschutes Recycling is located at Knott Landfill, 61050 SE 27th Street, Bend.

FireFree encourages residents to complete their fall cleanup and maintenance of defensible space by bringing branches, leaves, shrubs and pine needles to Deschutes Recycling during the event. "With the burn ban in place inside the Bend city limits, this is an excellent opportunity for Bend residents to recycle their yard debris inexpensively and legally," says Katie Lighthall, FireFree Coordinator.

Yard debris must be clean; no rocks, dirt, garbage or plastic bags.

Deschutes Recycling is open Monday - Saturday (closed Sundays & Holidays).
7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Deschutes Recycling will also be closed on Veterans Day, Friday, November 11, 2011.

Free Tire Collection Event at Knott Landfill

Saturday, September 17, 2011 from 7:00am - 4:30pm, residents can bring old snow tires and balding retreads to Knott Landfill for recycling.

Knott Landfill is located at 61050 SE 27th Street in Bend.

Tires up to 24.5" inside diameter will be accepted from households only. Tires can be on or off the rim but please keep them separated.

Limit of 12 tires per household. If you have more than 12 tires, please contact the Solid Waste office at 541-317-3163.

This event is not intended for businesses or retailers

Bend Garbage & Recycling Re-Routing for Efficiency

Bend Garbage & Recycling is currently working on route changes for better efficiency and fuel savings.

Bend Garbage & Recycling will send notifications to their residential customers regarding these route changes. Some customers may have no changes to their collection day but almost all will have changes with their pick-up time. Customers are asked to always have their carts out by 6:00 a.m. or the night before their collection day.

“These route changes were put in place to bring better efficiency and fuel savings,” says Brad Bailey, President of Bend Garbage & Recycling. “As the areas we service have grown and changed over time, we felt it was time to revisit our collection routes and find ways to improve efficiencies. We hope to implement these changes with as little disruption to our customers as possible.”

Customers are asked to watch for notifications coming from Bend Garbage & Recycling regarding these garbage collection day changes.

New routes for residential customers will be implemented the week of October 10, 2011.

Labor Day Collection Schedule

On Labor Day, Monday, September 5, 2011 there will no interruption in Bend Garbage & Recycling's collection schedule for garbage & recycling.

Please have carts out by 6:00 a.m.

The Bend Garbage & Recycling office will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2011 in observance of Labor Day and will re-open on Tuesday, September 6 at 8:00 a.m.

For additional information, please contact Bend Garbage & Recycling at 541-382-2263.

CAN Cancer Rodeo Fundraiser - A Big Success!

Rodeo spectators showed their support for CAN Cancer at this years Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo by donating their spare change on Friday and Saturday night raising $2,043.88!

"It was wonderful to see the community come together and help support CAN Cancer and what a great venue to get the word out about CAN Cancer. We are thankful to the Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo for allowing us the opportunity to raise funds for our program and this money is going to help a lot of people here in Central Oregon," Susan Baker, Bend Garbage & Recycling.

CAN cancer provides community assistance to help cover non-medical living expenses for Central Oregonians fighting all forms of cancer. Funds raised for CAN cancer have helped local families with their utilities, hotel stays, gas cards, rent assistance, grocery cards and more.

The group of Central Oregon Garbage Haulers includes: Bend Garbage & Recycling, Cascade Disposal, High Country Disposal, Prineville Disposal, Madras Sanitary Service and Wilderness Garbage. 100% of the money donated is put in a fund with the St. Charles Foundation so that all funds raised will be used directly to benefit local residents.

For more information, visit cancancer.org

Free Appliance Recycling Event

The annual appliance recycling event held by Deschutes County Solid waste is scheduled for:

When: Saturday, August 20th
7:00am - 4:30pm

Where: Knott Landfill
61050 SE 27th Street, Bend

Acceptable appliances include:
air conditioners, dishwashers, dryers, furnaces, freezers*, heat pumps, ovens, refrigerators*, stoves, trash compactors*, washers and water heaters.

*Items noted with an asterisk will not be accepted if they contain food or food residue.

For more information, please contact the Deschutes County Solid Waste office at 541.317.3163 or visit www.deschutes.org/solidwaste

Project Wildfire

With fire season here, Project Wildfire takes this opportunity to remind residents in Central Oregon what they can do to help project their homes, properties and neighborhoods.

Deschutes County Forester and Chair of Project Wildfire Joe Stutler says, "Reducing brush and ladder fuels help reduce the intensity of a fire so firefighters can effectively suppress it and greatly decreases the potential for flames and embers to spread quickly to tress and structures."

Where are Your Most Vulnerable Places for Glowing Embers to Ignite Your Home?

Are your gutters free from debris such as pine needles, leaves and moss?
Clean them out. Despite a metal or asphalt shingle roof, the buildup of gutter debris provides necessary fuel for the glowing embers to ignite adjacent fascia boards or siding - most often made of wood.

Do your shrubs and weeds provide a path of fuel for fire to reach your trees or home?
Reduce shrubs and other "ladder fuels" around your home to reduce the threat of ground fires igniting nearby trees, or your home.

What can catch fire on your deck or patio or near your fence?
Remove weeds, shrubs or any combustible materials from around, under or on top of your deck, patio or wood fence. This includes toys, planters, construction materials, furniture and cushions along with even small piles of pine needles or leaves.

Is your wood pile near your home or other combustible vegetation?
Move wood piles at least 20 feet away from your home or other combustibles.

Do you have a wood roof?
If so, consider maintaining a charged water hose to keep the roof wet so falling embers are extinguished upon landing.

Do you have a long driveway (over 50 feet)? Make sure access to your property is clear for easy access of emergency equipment.

For additional tips, residents can visit www.firefree.org or www.firewise.org. For more information, contact Project Wildfire at 541.322.7129

Free Residential Document Shred Event in Sisters

SecureShred and the Deschutes County Sheriff's office have partnered for this free shred event to give residents a safe method to dispose of private documents and learn identity theft prevention tips.

This event is for residential shredding only - no commercial/business shredding.

Saturday, July 23, 2011
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Sisters Sheriff's Office
703 North Larch

At this event, there will be a deputy on hand to collect prescriptions and over the counter medication.

Help support the Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank and bring a non-perishable food item to the free shred event.

No advance document sorting is necessary, the SecureShred truck can destroy paperwork with paper clips and staples attached.

SecureShred offers complete on-site document destruction at your home or business, serving all of Central Oregon. You can schedule weekly, monthly, on-call or one time shred service. Walk in service is also available at the Bend Garbage & Recycling office (20835 NE Montana Way).

Call today for more information at 541-382-2263.

New Drop Box Orders are Rent Free for the Month of July

Bend Garbage & Recycling is offering Free Rent on New Drop Box orders for the month of July. Other fees apply (delivery, haul and disposal).

Call to arrange a 10 - 40 cubic yard drop box for your remodeling, construction projects or other large cleanup jobs. Bend Garbage & Recycling will deliver and place the box, you fill it up and call when it's full.

Loads of clean, recyclable material may qualify for reduced disposal costs. Bend Garbage & Recycling's timely service will ensure your job will stay on schedule.

Free Rent offer is valid for new drop box orders only and is valid through July 31, 2011.

For more information, call 541-382-2263.

Deschutes Recycling Offers Saturday Compost Deliveries

Deschutes Recycling, located at Knott Landfill in Bend, offers compost deliveries on Saturday. Customers can order compost for delivery Monday - Saturday and Deschutes Recycling provides delivery throughout Central Oregon.

Deschutes Recycling offers BioFine & SoilBuilder compost for your lawn and garden projects. Visit www.deschutesrecycling.com for information on the products and services they offer or contact 541.388.1910 for delivery rates in your area. Deschutes Recycling is open Monday - Saturday 7:00am - 4:30pm, closed Sundays and Holidays.

Help Support CAN Cancer at the 2011 Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo

At the Deschutes County Rodeo on Friday and Saturday evening (August 5 and August 6), CAN Cancer volunteers will pass around purple trash cans in the rodeo stands asking folks to please “Pitch-In” and help support CAN Cancer.

Donations will help local Central Oregon families manage day-to-day expenses while they are receiving cancer treatment. CAN Cancer was founded by the Central Oregon garbage haulers to help ease some of the financial pressure for local people being treated for cancer. In 2010, over $30,000 was raised. 100% of donations go to CAN Cancer. Funds raised for CAN Cancer have helped local families with their utilities, hotel stays, gas cards, rent assistance, grocery cards and more.

For more information, visit www.cancancer.org and please come out to the rodeo and help support CAN Cancer!

Fourth of July Collection Schedule

On Monday, July 4, 2011, Bend Garbage & Recycling's collection schedule for garbage & recycling will be as usual.

Please have carts out by 6:00 a.m.

The Bend Garbage & Recycling office will be closed on Monday, July 4, 2011 in observance of Independence Day and will re-open on Tuesday, July 5 at 8:00 a.m.

Bend Garbage & Recycling - Offering Customers Online Bill Pay

Bend Garbage & Recycling has several payment options to fit your needs. You can sign up to pay your bill online or sign up for Auto Pay. Go to: www.bendgarbage.com and click on the Online- Bill Pay button to register. Once you have registered you can make online payments, setup automatic payments using your Checking Account, Savings Account, Debit Card or Credit Card.

Benefits to this Online system, it will allow you to self manage your account and review payment history.

For more information on this or any other programs Bend Garbage & Recycling has to offer, please call 541.382.2263.

Healthy Soils – Make Healthy Plants!

There are many proven benefits to using Soil Builder compost in your garden or BioFine in your yard:

*Increased soil fertility, you’ll save money on fertilizers
*Conserves water by increasing water holding capacity of soil
*Stimulates plant and root growth
*Increases soil organic mater and beneficial microbes
*Improves soil structure
*Helps fight thatch and turf diseases, and improves aeration
*Protects plants from climate extremes
*Increases plants resistance to pests and disease
*Provides a fire-resistant ground cover

Deschutes Recycling compost is locally produced with local organic yard trimmings. The compost is independtly tested every 3 months by a US Composting Council approved lab to ensure quality and reliability.

Deschutes Recycling provides convenient delivery or you can self–haul the compost. Deliveries are available Monday - Saturday.

Deschutes Recycling is conveniently located at Knott Landfill - 61050 SE 27th Street in Bend. Open Monday – Saturday 7:00am - 4:30pm, closed Sundays. Visit: www.deschutesrecycling.com for more information regarding products and services that Deschutes Recycling has to offer.

Bend Garbage & Recycling Ranks in Top 100 Best Green Companies for a Third Year

Bend Garbage & Recycling was selected for the third year as one of the Top 100 Best Green Companies to Work for in Oregon and placed 62 out of 415 companies.

Sustainability is an important value and green practices are key to being a great place to work, according to a survey by Oregon Business Magazine and the survey 100 Best Green Companies.

100 Best Green Companies was determined by an anonymous employee survey and an independent assessment of the employers’ sustainability practices.

“We are honored to be listed for a third year as one of the 100 Best Green Companies to Work for in Oregon," said Brad Bailey, president of Bend Garbage & Recycling. “We are always looking for ways to improve efficiencies and reduce our impact on the environment."

The 100 Best Green Companies are determined by satisfaction and importance ratings of sustainability statements from the 100 Best Employee Survey as well as answers to sustainability questions. The winners were selected by nearly 19,000 employees from the 415 companies and nonprofits that took part in the anonymous surveys.

The survey included questions on the organization’s support for waste reduction; reuse and recycling; renewable energy and conservation; alternative modes of transportation; use of nontoxic materials; reducing energy consumption and pollution; and commitment to sustainability as part of the organization’s core business strategy.

For more information on the 100 Best Survey, visit: www.oregon100best.com/events/green-event/

Free Shred Event

Saturday, June 25 10am-12pm
735 NE Purcell Blvd
Bend, OR

SecureShred and South Valley Bank & Trust are partnering to offer residents the opportunity to safely destroy personal documents. This event is for private residential shredding only, not for business or company shredding. No advance sorting necessary. Support Mountain Star Family Relief Nursery, dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect in Central Oregon. We will be accepting much needed donations of diapers and wipes. For more information, please call 541-382-2263.

FireFree Recycle Days

Are YOU prepared for wildfire? FireFree encourages residents to get prepared for the upcoming wildfire season by cleaning up their yards and creating defensible space around their homes.

FireFree allows residents of Central Oregon the opportunity to recycle yard waste and debris at no charge at area landfills and transfer stations.

Bend – Knott Landfill
May 6th – 14th (Closed Sunday May 8)
Monday – Saturday; 7:00am – 4:30pm

Redmond – Negus Transfer Station
May 20 & 21
Friday & Saturday; 8:00am – 4:00pm

Sisters – Fryrear Transfer Station
May 20 & 21
Friday & Saturday; 8:00am – 4:00pm

La Pine – Southwest Transfer Station
May 20 & 21
Friday & Saturday; 8:00am – 4:00pm

For more information; visit www.firefree.org
Please note: Knott Landfill, Deschutes Recycling, and transfer stations are closed Sundays.

Earth Day Celebration

Join Bend Garbage & Recycling at this years Earth Day Fair and Procession of the Species put on by the Environmental Center. The event will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2011 from 11:00am - 4:00pm on Kansas Avenue in Bend, in front of the Environmental Center.

The event will feature interactive displays, art, live music and great hands-on activities for all ages. The event will kick off with the Procession of the Species parade with children and adults costumed as their favorite species. Visit www.envirocenter.org for more information.

Free Shred Event for Central Oregon

SecureShred, a division of Bend Garbage & Recycling, has teamed up with Mid Oregon Credit Union, to provide Central Oregonians a safe method for disposing of personal documents. The free shred event is intended for private residential document shredding only, no commercial shredding.

No sorting necessary, personal documents with staples and paper clips are okay.

When: Saturday, April 16, 2011 residents can safely destroy confidential documents for free at the following
Mid Oregon Credit Union locations:

9:00 am - 11:00 am Bend & Madras
Bend Brach, 202 NE Olney (Corner of 2nd and Olney)

Madras Branch, 395 SE Fifth Street (At Fifth and “F” Streets)

12:00 pm - 2:00pm Redmond & Prineville

Redmond Branch – 2625 SW 17th Place (Next to Bi-Mart)

Prineville Branch – 305 NE Hickey Farms Road
(In front of Bi-Mart)

Mid Oregon credit Union is asking event participants to consider bringing a donation to benefit Healthy Beginnings www.myhb.org. A Healthy Beginning representative will be on site at all event locations to answer questions about the organization.

Stamp Out Hunger !

Join the USPS Letter Carriers Food Drive on Saturday May 14, 2011. Help stamp out hanger in your town by leaving a bag filled with nonperishable food items by your mail box. All food is kept in your town to help your Neighborhood Impact food bank.

Oregon E-Cycles Program

The Oregon E-cycles program, a network of more than 250 collection sites and recycling facilities statewide that accepts unwanted computers, monitors, and TVs from the public for free, collected and recycled more than 24 million pounds of materials in 2010. This is a 27% gain over the program’s first year.

“These figures show this program is working and is effective in handling the vast amount of electronic waste that we all generate and need to dispose of properly,” said Kathy Kiwala, E-Cycles Specialist with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Also contributing to the large percentage gain in the program is the ban on disposing of computers, TVs and monitors which went in effect Jan 1, 2010. This helped spur the public to find recycling sites where they could safely and conveniently dispose of these goods. Increased awareness of the ban has led to increased awareness of Oregon E-Cycles Program.

Proper recycling of electronics is important because they contain toxic metals such as cadmium, mercury, and lead. Also, recycling of these electronics leads to significant energy savings and greenhouse gas reductions.

For more information on Oregon E-Cycles Program, visit www.oregonecycles.org.

Deschutes Recycling accepts computers (desktops & laptops), monitors and TV’s and will recycle them for free. Deschutes Recycling is open Monday-Friday 7:00am-4:30pm
(Closed Sundays) www.deschutesrecycling.com

Your Security Is Our Priority

Your security is our priority, with tax time here, now is a good time to cleanup outdated records. According to the Federal Trade Commission 9 million Americans have their identity stolen each year. The number one way to steal identity is by “Dumpster Diving”. This is done by rummaging through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it.

Locally owned SecureShred destroys any amount of sensitive documents or electronic data with on-call, scheduled and walk-in service.

SecureShred is a professional member of the National Association for Information Destruction as well as HIPAA and Gramm-Leach-Biley compliant. For more information, please contact our office at 541-382-2263.

Need A Temporary Container ...

You've come to the right place!

Bend Garbage & Recycling has temporary containers called Rent-A-Bins. These containers are ideal for home projects.

Use your container to clean up your;
* Garage
* Shed
* Basement
* Yard debris
* Remodel debris

We have sizes available to fit your needs. Contact our office for more information or to schedule delivery,
541-382-2263 or www.bendgarbage.com

Free Shred Event A Huge Succes

On March 19, SecureShred and the Deschutes County Sheriff's office partnered for a free shred event giving residents a safe method to dispose of private documents.

There was a steady flow of residents during the 3 hour event, SecureShred collected and shredded 8.5 tons of paper.

Deschutes County Sheriff's office collected 1,750 pounds of food, and received $267.00 in cash donations to benefit Neighbor Impact.

SecureShredd offers complete on-site destruction at your home or business, serving all of Central Oregon. Documents can also be dropped off at the Bend Garbage & Recycling office for secure document shredding. For more information call SecureShred at 541.382.2263 or stop by the Bend Garbage & Recycling office at 20835 NE Montana Way, Monday-Friday 8:00 to 4:30.

FREE Tire Recycling Event

On Saturday, March 19th from 7:00am to 4:30pm, residents can bring old snow tires and balding retreads to Knott Landfill for recycling.

Knott Landfill is located at 61050 SE 27th Street in Bend.

Limit of 12 tires per load. If you have more than 12 tires, please contact the Solid Waste office at 541.317.3163.

Tires can be on or off the rim but please keep them separated. Only tires with rim size up to 24 1/2" will be accepted. No heavy equipment tires, retailers or fleet tires.

For more information visit www.co.deschutes.or.us/sw

Scholarship Opportunities

Bend Garbage & Recycling offers four scholarships to local high school seniors in our community.

Eligible high schools include: Bend Senior High School, Mountain View High School, Summit High School and Marshall High School.

Seniors planning to attend an accredited trade school, college, university or community college as full-time students for the fall term of 2011 are encouraged to apply. Contact Bend Senior High, Mountain View, Summit High, Marshall High Schools for criteria and applications. All applications must be turned into the school not Bend Garbage and Recycling office. Application deadline is April 15, 2011.

Contact Bend Garbage & Recycling for more information 541-382-2263.

2010 Recipients:
Chloe Hanson - Bend Senior High School
Kelsey Frost - Mountain View High School
Chelsea Ortega - Summit High School

Free Document Shred Event in Bend

SecureShred and the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office have partnered for this free shred event to give residents a safe method to dispose of private documents and learn identity theft prevention tips.

This event is for residential shredding only - no commercial business shredding.


Saturday, March 19
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Deschutes Co Sheriff's Office
63333 West Hwy 20

At this event, there will be a deputy on hand to collect prescriptions and over the counter medication.

No advance document sorting is necessary, the SecureShred truck can destroy paperwork with paper clips and staples attached. File folders may also be shredded.

Residents are asked to being a non-perishable food item to donate to the food bank.

SecureShred offers complete on-site document destruction at your home or business, servicing all of Central Oregon. You can schedule weekly, monthly, on-call or one time service, whatever best fits you needs. Call today for more information on SecureShred at 541.382.2263.

Help Support CAN Cancer and VOTE!

The Pepsi Refresh Project looks for ideas from non-profits that can make a positive impact in the community. The CAN Cancer Program has been selected as one of the programs that could win a $50,000 grant!

Here’s where we need your help. We have to start spreading the news to our friends, families, co-workers and have them vote for our idea. Voting ends January 31st so we need your votes now!

It only takes about 5 minutes to help CAN Cancer!
1. Go to: www.refresheverything.com/cancancer
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Vote for this Idea.”
3. Sign in – click on the ‘Health’ Button and then the ‘$50,000’ button.
4. You will notice a Vote For “Shuffled Ideas” - change this drop down to “Near You”
a. Or click on this link http://www.refresheverything.com/cancancer
b. You can also scroll down to the garbage can with ribbon logo and the header “Help Cancer Patients with Non Medical Expenses” and Vote!

You can vote one time per day for CAN Cancer.

Please send this out to as many of your friends, family members, groups and co-workers.

Thank you for helping us!


About CAN Cancer
CAN Cancer was founded in 2009 by Corrine & Gil Martinez who came up with the idea for Can Cancer when their son Stu was fighting his cancer. They organized the Central Oregon Haulers and founded Can Cancer, Community Assistance for Neighbors with cancer, to help with the non-medical expenses incurred while fighting cancer.

The expenses of travel to and from treatments, lodging for families supporting those with cancer, food, groceries and utilities can seem unmanageable and some may choose to pay a bill and forego travel for treatments. Every dollar raised goes to help patients and their families.