Highlights from the 5th Annual Kendall Auto Soapbox Derby!

What do you get when you combine 19 soapbox cars, five course features, a water pit, a surprise rainstorm, some incredible costumes, a few crashes, and $10,500 for local nonprofits? One unforgettable 5th Annual Kendall Auto Soapbox Derby!

Families, schools, local businesses, community groups, and Kendall teams came together at River’s Edge Golf Course for our biggest year of soapbox fun yet. Each of our 19 participating teams chose a nonprofit to race on behalf of, representing organizations including Think Wild, Oregon Adaptive Sports, Boys & Girls Club of Central Oregon, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Every Kid Sports, and many more.

Our Kendall team went bigger than ever on this year’s course, creating five different features with ramps, a tabletop, obstacles, and, of course, the ultimate splash zone: the water pit. Add in some classic Central Oregon weather that brought a crazy rainstorm right in the middle of the action, and this year’s racers got just about everything thrown their way.

The creativity was also on another level. We saw soapboxes inspired by Tow Mater, Star Wars, Hunger Tren, a G-Wagon, Back to the Future, and plenty more. One of our favorite surprises came from Team SCOOFA, a group that returns to race with us year after year. This time, they showed up as us! Their soapbox was a physical recreation of the Kendall Auto Soapbox Derby logo, while the team dressed as members of the Kendall crew running the event—complete with oversized cowboy hats, wigs, and even a traffic cone costume. Safe to say, they understood the assignment.

After multiple rounds of racing, OUTATIME from Kendall Toyota of Bend took home first place with their Back to the Future-themed soapbox, earning $5,000 to split with their nonprofit, Ronald McDonald House Charities. The Pacemakers from Porsche Bend raced their way into second place dressed as senior citizens, earning $3,000 to split with Cascade Canine Rescue East & West. In third place, Forge Model F from Forge Academy earned $2,000 to split with their chosen nonprofit.

And we couldn’t end the day without seeing who could fly the farthest. The Tow Mater car from Kendall Ford of Bend took home the Long Jump Competition and an additional $500 to split with Every Kid Sports.

In total, Kendall Cares donated $10,500 between our top three finishers and Long Jump Competition winner, with each team required to donate at least 50% of its winnings to its chosen nonprofit—and the option to donate the full amount.

An event like this wouldn’t be possible without an incredible group of community partners. A huge thank you to River’s Edge Golf Course, our host sponsor, along with course sponsors Jake Petersen Farm & Livestock and Kirby Nagelhout Construction, and media sponsors Audio Visions Plus and Backyard Media. The Audio Visions Plus team continues to take this event to another level with an incredible livestream and timing system that keeps the racing action running all day long.

To every team that built, raced, crashed, splashed, dressed up, and helped us give back: thank you. To every nonprofit represented, sponsor who supported us, and spectator who braved the weather and cheered from the sidelines: thank you for making year five one we won’t forget.

Five years down, and somehow the Soapbox Derby just keeps getting crazier.

We can’t wait to see what rolls onto the course next year!

SOAPBOX DERBY LIVESTREAM

Cheerios, Chex, Corn Flakes, Cereal, OH MY!

Blue Skies & Beautiful Rides at the Broken Top Car Show!

There’s something about beautiful cars, blue skies, and a summer day in Central Oregon that just goes together.

Kendall was honored to return to the Broken Top Car Show, hosted by the Broken Top Homeowners Association at Broken Top Golf Course. With upwards of 700 people joining in on the fun, the course was filled with an incredible lineup of vehicles ranging from timeless classics to head-turning sports cars.

This year, the Kendall lineup had a theme: blue, with a hint of BMW green! We brought out four of our favorite vehicles from the lot, each showing off a different side of summer driving—the Mercedes CLA350 Electric, Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, Audi SQ8, and BMW M850i Gran Coupe. Bright, beautiful, and right at home among some of Central Oregon’s coolest cars, they made for quite the lineup.

Of course, there was plenty to enjoy beyond the cars. Guests spent the day listening to live music, enjoying ice cream, exploring the show, and stopping by the Kendall booth to test their skills at our golf chipping game for a chance to take home some Kendall prizes. With the event taking place right on the golf course, we couldn’t resist adding a little friendly competition of our own!

We always love an opportunity to get out into the community, share our love of cars, and spend a summer day with fellow automotive enthusiasts. A big thank you to the Broken Top Homeowners Association for inviting us back and to everyone who stopped by to see us. We’re already looking forward to the next one!

Celebrating the Next Generation of the Porsche Cayenne

We recently welcomed our community to Porsche Bend for a special afternoon celebrating the launch of the all-new Porsche Cayenne Electric. Guests had the opportunity to get an up-close look at the 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric and Porsche Cayenne Coupe Electric Turbo while enjoying great food, drinks, and even better company. We launched the afternoon with a car show, followed by a reveal and some quick words about this incredible new car (including a horsepower of over 1100!) and a raffle with some all-new Porsche merchandise.

The afternoon was all about experiencing what’s next for the Cayenne and celebrating Porsche’s continued commitment to innovation. From the striking design to the exciting possibilities of electric performance, there was plenty to admire, explore, and talk about as guests took in these incredible new vehicles.

We’re grateful to everyone who joined us and helped make the afternoon so memorable. It was a great opportunity to bring our Porsche community together, share in the excitement of what’s ahead, and celebrate the next chapter of the Cayenne.

Freedom in Full Gear at the Redmond 4th of July Parade!

There’s no better way to celebrate Independence Day than alongside the Central Oregon community, and this year’s Redmond 4th of July Parade was one for the books.

With 90 floats entered by local businesses, community organizations and beyond, this year’s parade was one of the largest yet. Thousands of spectators lined the streets of downtown Redmond to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, creating an unforgettable atmosphere filled with patriotism, community spirit, and summer fun.

This year, Kendall Central Oregon was proud to partner with the Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo as we helped build excitement for this year’s fair and the Free Summer Concert Series, proudly presented by Kendall Toyota of Bend. The Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo team rode through the parade in their “Powered by Kendall” truck, towing a people mover filled with Fair & Rodeo Association team members and joined by the DCEF Cheerleaders.

Close behind, the Kendall crew proudly rolled through town on our flatbed truck, embracing this year’s theme, Driven by Freedom. Filled with Kendall staff and families, our float brought plenty of excitement as we launched T-shirts, tossed cowboy hats, and handed out candy to paradegoers of all ages. Seeing so many smiling faces along the route reminded us why this tradition is one of our favorite community events each year.

A special thank you goes to our incredible Kendall families, whose enthusiasm and participation helped make this our most memorable parade yet. We’d also like to thank the Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo for partnering with us to kick off another exciting fair season, and the Redmond Chamber for organizing another outstanding 4th of July celebration for our community.

We are proud to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy and even prouder to celebrate alongside the community we are honored to serve. Happy Independence Day from all of us at Kendall!

Highlights from a Howdy-Rowdy Crooked River Roundup Week!

Kendall Peanut Butter Drive 2026 Stocks Pantries for the Summer, Thanks to Newport Ave Market & NeighborImpact Food Bank

During the month of May, Kendall donated one case (6 jars) of Peanut Butter for every car sold, and one jar for every client service repair. Our partners at Newport Ave Market amplified the drive as well, giving customers the opportunity to purchase a jar or a case at checkout. The Peanut Butter Drive would not be possible without Newport Market, who doubles the impact at their store and provides all the peanut butter fresh and at cost. This not only allows our organizations to increase the amount donated but ensures that quality peanut butter gets into the hands of families and local food pantries that need it the most.

Why Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is one of the most highly requested items among food banks in the US. Food banks often have to purchase peanut butter to meet the demand for it, due to the fact that it is a shelf-stable protein (contains 8g of protein per serving, fuels summer lunch programs and food pantries year-round, and is loved by children, adults, and senior citizens alike.

Where Does the Peanut Butter Go? The PB starts at Newport Market & Kendall Dealerships, where it will then go to NeighborImpact Food Bank’s new warehouse in Redmond. From the warehouse, over 59 partner food pantries, Meal Sites, and shelters will pick up the Peanut Butter—among many other food items—and then distribute it throughout Central Oregon. NeighborImpact Food bank has Partner Agencies in Bend, Redmond, Madras, The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, LaPine, Sisters, and Prineville. Most importantly, the PB donated through this drive will stock summer lunch programs for kids in need while they are not in school to ensure every child has a safe, successful summer.  

About NeighborImpact Food Bank: NeighborImapct Food Bank serves Partner Agencies in Bend, Redmond, Madras, The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, LaPine, Sisters, and Prineville. In 2025, NeighborImpact network provided food assistance 1,030,000 times—that’s an average of 86,000 people served per month throughout Central Oregon. 36% of the individuals served are children. In total, NeighborImpact and their partner agencies distributed over six million pounds of food last year, direct to families or through partner agencies to all ages.

Why This Matters: Your support of the Peanut Butter Drive helps us spread the love by making a lasting impact that supports children, families, and senior citizens year-round. Last year, NeighborImpact Food Bank provided meals to over 970,000 individuals – and the need is growing.