MAYOR'S MESSAGE Bus Jam 2025 Kicks Off with Food and Friendly Firefighter Rivalry The holiday season always reminds us of the power of community, and few traditions capture that spirit more than the annual Coos Bay–North Bend Rotary Bus Jam Toy and Food Drive. For more than two decades, this event has brought our community together to ensure families in our area have a brighter holiday. Each donation of a new toy or non-perishable food item is a message of care, compassion, and hope. This year, we were excited to kick things off with the Build the Bus Jam event sponsored by NW Natural this last Wednesday at Pony Village Mall. This event pitted the Coos Bay Fire Department against the North Bend Fire Department, challenged to build a structure with donated non-perishable food items. The effort by both teams is on display through October 22, 2025, in the Southeast corridor of the Pony Village Mall. Please stop by and donate a non-perishable food item and vote for Coos Bay Fire Department, who created a structure that states “Help Us End Hunger”. This event sets the tone for the rest of the Bus Jam season ahead and is a chance for all of us to come together, roll up our sleeves, and fill those buses with joy. It’s also a wonderful reminder that when Coos Bay and North Bend join hands, incredible things happen. Some things still to come: the North American Railcar Operators Association (NARCOA) Speeders will arrive at the Coos Bay Boardwalk On October 20, 2025, around 1:30 p.m. loaded with toys to donate to Bus Jam and the Stuff the Bus event will occur in early December, with locations throughout the South Coast, including the Coos Bay and North Bend BiMarts, where community members can donate new toys and non-perishable food items. The distribution event occurs not long after, hosted at the Boys & Girls Club. I want to thank the Rotary Club, NW Natural, and all the volunteers and businesses who make this effort possible. But most of all, I want to thank you—the members of our community—who give so generously year after year. Together, we are making sure families in our community feel the warmth and magic of the holiday season. Let’s make 2025 our biggest year yet and continue to show what makes our community so special: our willingness to care for one another. With gratitude and holiday cheer, -Joe Benetti, Mayor of Coos BayPhotos from Coos Bay - City Government's post