May 22 declared Jerry Kramer Day

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff

When it comes to local legends, no name has made as much noise in the past year as NFL legend Jerry Kramer, and for good reason.

Jerry Kramer.

Both Bonner County and the city of Sandpoint proclaimed Wednesday, May 22, “Jerry Kramer Day” in an effort to honor the Sandpoint native as he visited town to share his stories at the Panida Theater. Proceeds from the event benefit the DayBreak Center, which offers care for adults with memory-loss disorders and support for caregivers.

John Elsa, a volunteer with the DayBreak Center and coordinator of the Panida event, played a large part in making Jerry Kramer Day happen. He spoke at the Bonner County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, pointing out that only 318 professional football players are in the NFL Hall of Fame, Kramer having been inducted last year.

“And there’s one who came from the town of Sandpoint, a town of about 3,000 people at that time,” he said. “That’s pretty remarkable.”

Elsa highlighted Kramer’s efforts to raise money for national and local causes, crediting him with helping to raise $40,000 for the DayBreak Center over the years.

The city of Sandpoint also acknowledged their own declaration of Jerry Kramer Day on Facebook Wednesday morning, noting that though Kramer moved to Sandpoint at the age of 9, he “recognizes Sandpoint as his hometown.”