Rotary donates $50K to LPOSD after-school, literacy programs

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff

The Rotary Club of Sandpoint donated $50,000 to the Lake Pend Oreille School District on Oct. 7 to benefit after-school programs and reading intervention for local students.

The sum came from Rotary sponsorships — some of which were intended for the 2020 CHAFE 150 bike race, which was canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Several organizations and businesses opted to donate their sponsorships regardless of the cancellation.

“We could not have done this without your support during these challenging times,” said past Sandpoint Rotary President Mel Dick in an email to members.

According to presentation materials from LPOSD officials, the $50,000 will fund after-school programs, which “provide literacy support, homework help, a healthy snack, social-emotional connections, physical fitness and hands-on STEM activities” to students, as well as be used to purchase materials needed for reading intervention programs.

“We are so thankful for the support of Sandpoint Rotary,” LPOSD Director of Teaching and Learning Andra Murray told the Sandpoint Reader. “Their grant funding allows over 100 families to participate in after-school programming during these challenging times. In addition, this partnership also funds reading intervention materials for use in grades K-2, and ongoing staff training. Thanks to Rotary and CHAFE sponsors for making this possible.”

Along with the announcement of the donation, Dick shared that the 2021 CHAFE 150 race is planned for Saturday, June 19, 2021, and that he and his team are “already busy planning next year’s event.”