FEC program awards safety grants
The Roundup for Safety Board awarded a total of $21,375 in community safety grants to nonprofit organizations at its March 10 meeting.
The board considered five projects, including a request from Flathead Rivers Alliance for help with its loaner life jacket program on the Middle and North Forks of the Flathead River. This program is in partnership with the Flathead National Forest, Glacier National Park, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, and other associated stakeholders, including the Flathead Resource Advisory Committee, which provided the project’s seed money.
At the heart of the project is river safety education, with the goal of eliminating preventable fatalities on the Flathead River. The Roundup for Safety Board awarded $5,000 for the construction of loaner life jacket stands, education about the stands, and first aid kits for volunteers who staff the river access points where the stands are located.
The Board also funded about 1,000 child bicycle helmets for free distribution at Logan Health’s sixth annual Spring into Safety Kids Day. This event is on May 7 at the Trades Center building at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. Logan Health will properly fit the free helmets for each child. Montana Highway Patrol will host an education bike safety road course in conjunction with the helmet giveaway. The helmet grant totaled $7,965.
Other projects funded during the March meeting included: Braveheart at $3,000 for protective vests; Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation at $2,450 for Wilderness First Aid training; KALICO Art Center at $460 for first aid kit, bathroom grab bar, door paddle; and Lighthouse Christian Home & Services at $2,500 for a shower safety remodel.
Roundup for Safety is a voluntary program for Flathead Electric Cooperative members who allow their electric bills to be rounded up to the next dollar, with the extra money going into a fund for community safety projects proposed by nonprofit organizations. To date in 2022, the Roundup for Safety Board has distributed $71,621 in community safety project funding. Grants are considered each month. Applications are accepted on Flathead Electric Co-op's website. The Roundup for Safety Board next meets on April 14; applications are due March 31. For additional information about the program, call Courtney Stone at 406-751-1820 or visit www.flatheadelectric.com/roundup.