Elton Gregory has collected plenty of memories, volunteer hours, awards and accomplishments in Redmond. Soon he will add another — grand marshal of the 2024 Deschutes County Fair and Rodeo.

“I love this community, it’s pretty simple,” said Gregory, who is retired from a career in the Redmond School District and decades of volunteerism on various Deschutes County Fair boards.

Gregory has been involved with the Deschutes County Fair since 1996.

He helped develop the bond issue that built the current fairgrounds and he later became director of the fair board. He served on the fair board until 2022 — past his 80th birthday.

Now 87 years old, Gregory said “it’s very much an honor (to be grand marshal).”

As grand marshal, Gregory will be walking around and assisting others at the fairgrounds each day. He will participate in opening ceremonies each day of the rodeo and attend luncheons and other activities.

“It’s a position that attends every one of the major events — auctions, entertainment,” Gregory said. “It’s just a position that tries to have a whole public profile during fair time in every area of the fair.”

Gregory has been involved in more than just the fair. In the 58 years he has lived in Redmond, he said he has volunteered for “just about every organization,” including the Lions Club, Redmond Chamber of Commerce and Warm Springs organizations. And though he has retired from some, he still finds time to give back. He volunteers multiple times a week at St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store on Southwest Veterans Way, and has been doing so for 12 years.

“It’s a huge part of the homeless effort and for the people that need help,” Gregory said of St. Vincent De Paul. “It’s a huge organization. We distribute food to the public and we have over 400 families. Our store is probably the largest volunteer organization in Central Oregon.”

Gregory’s team volunteers 20 to 30 hours per week.

“As long as we can walk, we will probably continue,” he said.

Gregory is perhaps best known is Redmond as the namesake of Elton Gregory Middle School, where he served as principal from 1967 to 1994. He received the Johnson and Johnson Education Award in 1994 and Redmond Citizen of the Year in 1997.

“Now I’m grand marshal and I continue to get my roots a little deeper all the time in Redmond,” Gregory said.