You’re spreading Christmas cheer in eastern Idaho with cash and other donations
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IDAHO FALLS – The spirit of giving is alive and well in eastern Idaho this holiday season.
Over the last several weeks, we’ve received numerous emails about people and organizations making donations to local nonprofits.
“I am going to give my $1,000 that I got in the mayor’s walking challenge to Henrys Fork Elementary. I was wondering if you would like to be there,” St. Anthony Mayor Donald Powell wrote.
Another EastIdahoNews.com user wrote to tell us about a pinewood derby competition at Stone’s Kia in Idaho Falls.
“The employees competed for charity, and the winner wanted to donate his winnings to the fire department,” he wrote.
Time constraints have prevented us from covering these giveaways individually, but today, we thought we’d highlight a few of them for you.
Idaho Falls
Since 2015, The Bank of Commerce has donated food and cash donations to food banks in eastern Idaho. This year, the bank continued that tradition with a donation of $3,500 to Community Food Basket’s Emergency Food Assistance Program.
Bank employees delivered a $3,500 check to Community Food Basket at 1895 N. Boulevard in Idaho Falls Tuesday afternoon. They will deliver a $5,000 check to Eastern Idaho Public Health at 1250 Hollipark Drive Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
Donations to the Community Food Basket and other nonprofits have totaled more than $111,000 over the last three years.
Blackfoot
Blackfoot Heritage Sixth Grade School in the Blackfoot School District hosts a fundraiser every year for the Blackfoot Community Dinner Table.
It donates 150 turkeys and any additional cash it raises.
Principal Colin Folsom says the school has surpassed the $6,400 amount it raised last year. The total amount will be revealed during a school assembly Thursday afternoon, but on Thursday morning staff picked up the turkeys, boxing them up with other food items and delivering them to families in need.
Pocatello
Wells Fargo in Pocatello recently invested in a local Girl Scout leadership program.
They presented a $5,000 check to Girl Scouts of Silver Sage to support educational programs and activities that promote leadership development and financial literacy for more than 3,800 K-12 girls.
Patricia Pyke, CEO of Girl Scouts of Silver Sage, accepted the check on behalf of the organization, along with Leatha Thayer, the group’s board secretary. Pyke also gave a presentation to Wells Fargo employees about the impact of the Girl Scouts Leadership Program and volunteer opportunities within the organization.
“I am proud to work for a company that values its community like Wells Fargo does,” Thayer said in a news release. “This investment will help fund programs to launch these amazing young women into success for their future.”
Rexburg and Sugar City
The cross country team at Sugar-Salem High School in Sugar City held fundraisers throughout the year for various causes.
Team members and their families sponsored two races this year — The Bone and Back relay in June and the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day.
Janson Jardine, the team’s assistant coach, told EastIdahoNews.com the team worked hard to raise $1,500 from the two events. On Dec. 12, the team donated the funds to the Family Crisis Center in Rexburg.
“The (Family Crisis Center) helps over 100 families during this season and (we thought it) would be nice to help them out,” Jardine said.