LCOG Annual Dinner Honors Community Leaders, Raises $14,000 for Senior Meals

The City of Florence walked away with the Outstanding Economic Enhancement Award at the Lane Council of Governments' Annual Member Appreciation Dinner on March 6, drawing more than 160 elected officials, public employees, and business leaders to Cottage Grove and raising $14,000 for senior meals in the process.

LCOG Executive Director Brenda Moore presented the honor to Florence with remarks that framed economic development as a human issue rather than a metrics exercise. "Economic enhancement is not just about growth — it is about people. It's about families finding opportunity, small businesses finding support, and communities finding the confidence to invest in their future," Moore said. "Tonight, we are honored to recognize a community that has embraced that work with energy, creativity, and determination — the City of Florence."

The event, held at a historic venue at 628 E Washington Ave in Cottage Grove beginning at 6 p.m., served as LCOG's annual occasion to recognize regional accomplishments from the prior year. The dinner also incorporated a raffle component and an online fundraising campaign through Givebutter, with proceeds directed toward Senior & Disability Services. Florence, a coastal city of roughly 9,000 at the mouth of the Siuslaw River, was among several communities and organizations recognized on the night, though a complete list of honorees was not made available in materials released following the event.

The $14,000 raised will support senior meals, according to LCOG materials. The City of Florence described the evening as a fundraiser for Senior & Disability Services in its post-event statement, signaling that the funds are aimed at Lane County's aging population services infrastructure.

The dinner is a fixture in Lane County's civic calendar, bringing together the county's fragmented local governments, special districts, and regional agencies under one roof each year. LCOG, the regional planning and coordination agency serving Lane County jurisdictions, uses the occasion to surface collaborative work that might otherwise go unrecognized across the county's 13 cities and unincorporated communities.