KALISPELL — A $5,000 grant to the Flathead Community Foundation (FCF) will help provide longer stop swing arms on school buses, which have proven to reduce illegal passing of school buses and improve safety for children.
The grant will fund swing arms in Kalispell, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls school districts. Applicants say the device might have prevented the illegal passing of a bus in Flathead County last year that severely injured a young girl.
In addition to FCF, Flathead Electric Cooperative’s Roundup for Safety Board also awarded grants for the following safety related community projects, bringing the total awarded at the May meeting to $13,420:
- Whitefish School District #44: $2,400 for AED's
- DREAM Adaptive Recreation: $1,020 for safe sport training
- St. Matthew's Church: $2,500 for security cameras
- Kootenai Cross Ski Club, Inc.: $2,500 for electrical wiring and lighting.
The 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 nonprofit safety projects.
Click here for more information about the program.
