Priest River Rotary donates to local Head Start

By KATHY NUSSBERGER

Managing Editor

As the community kicks into high gear to support the local Head Start program, the Bonners Ferry Rotary jumped onboard with a $500 donation and issued a challenge to other clubs. This week, Priest River Rotary President, Brian Orr, and his club, accepted that challenge by donating $500.

"Ron Sukenik and I discussed the situation and decided to write a letter to the other Rotary Clubs in our local District, which is over 60 clubs" Rotary President, Jim Paulus explained. "About a week ago, Brian Orr called me and said he was coming up on Tuesday to present our club with a check from his club for the Head Start program. Needless to say, I was ecstatic."

Paulus added that he hopes more Rotary Clubs will do the same and hopes this will allow Head Start to kick off their program in the near future.

"Head Start is a Federally Funded Nationwide program that allows under privileged children in local neighborhoods, the opportunity to attend a pre-school that prepares them for kindergarten," Paulus said. "Not only does it prepare them for school, but also provides them with a free breakfast and lunch, which in many cases may be their only meal for the entire day."

He said that the local Head Start in Bonners Ferry, along with the North Idaho Chapters, have attempted to raise the funds to build a facility that would accommodate approximately 35 to 40 children for several years.

"Our local Boundary County Commissioners donated two acres of property for them to build this facility," he said. "Over the past several years, they have raised approximately $360,000 to complete this project, but still need an additional $25,000 to finish the building, purchase school equipment, playground equipment, etc."