Sandpoint Rotary, CHAFE 150 honored
(Courtesy photo) Sandpoint Rotary and CHAFE members pose for a photo after the groups were honored by the chamber in July. Pictured, from pictured left, are Clif Warren, Mitzi Hawkins, Brad Williams, Angela Cochran, and Tim Cochran.
SANDPOINT — It was double chamber honors for Rotary Club of Sandpoint this month.
Not onlyy was the club named the chamber’s top business for July, its CHAFE 150 committee members were recognized as the chamber’s top volunteers for the month.
Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce officials extended their congratulations to the Rotary of Sandpoint as the July Business of the Month. Across the globe, Rotary is committed to promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, supporting education, and growing local economies. The Sandpoint Rotary chapter has been a fixture in the community since 1966 and this vibrant and dynamic club of 85 members meet weekly to discuss ways to positively impact lives, locally and worldwide.
The club has donated over $100,000 to our community this year through scholarships, grants, CHAFE 150, and the Library Gala. More specifically, Rotary donated funds to the district-wide Book Trust, allowing students from kindergarten through third grade to order books of their choosing each month, at no cost to the student. In addition, the Sandpoint Rotary Club donated $50,000 to the East Bonner County Library Transformation project, specifically to the teen lounge and maker room — a gathering place for creativity, dialogue and mentorship. Additionally, they support the foreign exchange student program, the Peace Park playground project, the culinary program at Forrest Bird Charter School, and medical equipment to international areas of need.
The Rotary Club of Sandpoint also hosted a district conference this spring with 260 attendees from Canada, Washington, and Idaho.
With CHAFE 150 being one of the biggest fundraisers for the club, the committee, led by Brad Williams, Mel Dick, and Elana Westphal, was honored by the chamber as its Volunteers of the Month.
CHAFE 150 is a timed one-day, 150-, 80-, or 30-mile bike ride presented by Sandpoint Rotary Club to support students with autism. This year was the 11th annual race and the event raised more than $250,000.
CHAFE 150 contributes the ride’s proceeds to the Lake Pend Oreille School District. The funds help district staff to better meet the needs of students within the autism spectrum, which currently impacts every 1 in 68 children. Bicycling Magazine recently chose CHAFE 150 as the No. 3 charity ride in the nation.
Informaton: Rotary Club of Sandpoint, clubrunner.ca/sandpoint; and CHAFE 150, chafe150.org