With heavy hearts, we join our community in mourning Megan Lambert, who lost her life in the shooting at Silver Rail Elementary on October 15, 2026. Before she was a special education teacher, she was part of our Camp Fire family, known best by her camp name, “Lavender.” 

Megan first joined our nonprofit youth development organization as a teen program lead in 2023, helping young people get outside, try new things, and feel like they belonged. When summer ended, she became one of our afterschool counselors working at both Bend International School and Amity Creek Magnet at Thompson Elementary. The friendships she made on our team extended beyond work hours, so much so that Megan and other Camp Fire staff soon came together around a common passion for reading and started a book club, which her fellow counselors still carry on today.

“Megan lived life big and loved unconditionally, and you saw it in the way she fiercely advocated for young people and families," says Logan Betts, Camp Fire Central Oregon's Associate Director of Programs & Marketing. "From the moment we started at Camp Fire together, I saw how she embodied our mission in everything she did. I watched her fight so passionately for youth so that they could feel safe, supported, and heard. What began as being co-workers grew into a deep, lasting friendship, and, through my work at Camp Fire, I’m dedicated to honoring her by carrying on the advocacy and community-building she cared about so deeply.”

Everywhere Megan went, she made room for the kids who needed it most. In the classroom, she stood up for the underdog and for students who needed a little extra support. During her time as the teens program lead at Camp Fire, she found a way to connect with these youth in a way that they so desperately needed—with authenticity and trust. When she later became a counselor in our afterschool program, she continued to uphold Camp Fire values by nurturing safe spaces for youth in our community to thrive.

Friends and family remember her as a spark of joy, and that spark impacted every young person she worked with at Camp Fire. We hold Megan’s family, friends, colleagues, and students close, along with the families of the three children whose lives were taken, those who were injured, and the entire Silver Rail community.

At Camp Fire Central Oregon, we want our actions to speak louder than our words, especially when it comes to proactively supporting youth mental health. One of the primary ways we continue the work we believe in, and that Megan believed in, is by creating opportunities for youth to make meaningful connections with caring, trusted adults. 

When Megan coached for the Central Oregon Volleyball Club, she quietly declined her first season’s pay to ensure no child was kept off the court due to financial barriers. We want to carry that same selfless spirit into everything we do. 

To honor her legacy, Camp Fire Central Oregon is proud to rename its scholarship program the “Love Like Lavender” Scholarship Fund in Megan’s memory. All funds raised will not only open doors for youth to participate in programs that support mental health and foster meaningful connections but do so within the context of memorializing Megan’s impact.

Additionally, we invite you to support the Megan Lambert Memorial Fund, created by her family through the Oregon Community Foundation. This fund will carry forward her passion for education, mental health, and services for children with special needs.

How You Can Help:

Honor Megan’s life and support these vital causes by making a donation:

Thank you, Lavender, for sharing your light with all of us at Camp Fire Central Oregon. We will carry it forward.