At a recent meeting, Flathead Electric Cooperative’s Roundup for Safety board of directors awarded $34,624 in support of community safety projects proposed by nonprofit organizations. Grantees ranged from an emerging senior support group, My Glacier Village, to the long-established Bigfork Food Bank, and the Swan Mission Search and Rescue team, which sought funding for a drone.
“We went back and looked at our SAR (search and rescue) missions over the last few years, and we think that over 80% of them could have been improved if we’d had access to a drone to assist us. For example, there are very few access points on the Swan River, and the information that we receive about groups in need of assistance is often extremely limited. Sometimes we don’t know if they are up the river or down from a known point, and a drone could save hours – and more importantly, lives,” Swan Mission SAR President Carol Field told the Roundup for Safety Board of Directors. The increasing number of inexperienced recreationists in need of rescue was also discussed by the group, which numbers about 10 in size. The Board awarded $4,124 towards the Swan Mission SAR’s requested drone.
Other safety grants awarded include:
- Gateway to Glacier Trails – Safety Trail Markers and Signage – $3,500
- Bigfork Food Bank – Backup Generator – $10,000
- ABS Park – Baseball Backstop – $10,000
- Bigfork Chapel – Two AEDs – $3,000
- Bigfork Soccer Club – Popup Tents – $2,500
- My Glacier Village – Safety Step Stools, Grab Bars, Motion Night Lights – $1,500
Roundup for Safety is a voluntary program for Co-op members who round up their electric bills to the next dollar. This money is managed by an independent board and goes into a fund for community safety projects.
If your nonprofit is interested in applying for community safety funds, visit our Roundup for Safety page or call the Roundup for Safety Board Liason:
Courtney Stone
Communications & Marketing Supervisor
