At an August 10 meeting, Flathead Electric Cooperative’s Roundup for Safety board awarded $33,986 in support of community safety projects proposed by nonprofit organizations.
The Libby Police Department received Roundup for Safety funds to update their nearly obsolete Tasers. Chief Cody Ercanbrack presented on behalf of the department, explaining that the current Tasers are “worn out and less than 25% effective,” which forces officers to use higher levels of physical force. Ercanbrack stated, “Being able to effectively use a Taser drastically drops the chances of excessive or deadly force occurring.” The Roundup directors awarded $7,485 towards new Tasers.
Parents of Peterson Elementary received $4,751 for repairing a fence separating their school’s playground from a busy parking lot. The project is unusual in that the park is owned by the City of Kalispell, accessible by the public, and also the sole play area for the school. The fence surrounding the playground is severely damaged in multiple locations and completely missing in the after-school pick-up area. Repairing the fence will significantly reduce the risk of children being struck by a vehicle. The Roundup Board of Directors noted with approval that the group is separately fundraising to upgrade the outdated playground equipment. Donations for those improvements can be made at Lillian Peterson Elementary School on BetterWorld.
Other safety grants awarded include:
- Fellowship Church – playground safety flooring – $5,000
- Flathead County 4-H Shooting Sports – heaters – $8,250
- Whitefish Legacy Partners – bear-proof trash cans, safety signage – $8,500
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:
