JR Simplot donates $50K to CAA

MOSES LAKE — The word went out from coaches and advisors — the JR Simplot company was stepping up to help out the Moses Lake School District extracurricular program with a $50,000 donation. The coaches and advisors suggested the students should turn out to show their appreciation.

And they did, on a hot sunny Monday afternoon outside the new Simplot facility under construction.

Football, softball, drama ...

Efrain Valdez, plant director for JR Simplot in Moses Lake, looked at the crowd.

“I wasn’t expecting this many kids,” he said.

Wrestling, choir, unified teams, cross-country ...

“Drone shot,” said one of the athletes.

Band, basketball, baseball, volleyball and more. There were so many that one of the Simplot employees taking pictures had to switch her camera to panorama.

“It’s insane. It’s awesome,” Valdez said.

Cody Parrish, a board member for Community Athletics and Activities, tried to keep track of the crowd. Between students, some parents and coaches, there were a lot.

“I counted 189 (people),” she said.

Athletes, actors, singers and musicians turned out as Valdez and Zeke Rodriguez, regional units director for Simpot’s Columbia Basin facilities, presented an oversized check to the CAA board.

Typically extracurricular activities are funded through the district’s educational programs and operations levy, but the rejection of the levy in April cut off that source of funding. Community Athletics and Activities was formed to help plug the gap. Board member Ryan Carpenter said the donation from Simplot is the biggest corporate donation to date.

“So the challenge is on the table,” Carpenter said.

“Through donations like this, and our golf tournament in September which raises scholarship funds for local students, we hope to encourage local youth to stay in school and find their passion,” Valdez wrote in a press release. “When businesses and community members like the (CAA) organization work together, no problem is too big to overcome. We hope this donation is the first of many to support the young people of Moses Lake.”

“Huge thanks. It’s amazing,” said CAA board member James Getzinger.

The CAA set up its donation website June 27, and as of Monday about $109,400 had been raised in online donations alone. In-person donations are coming in, including the Simplot donation. There’s also an anonymous donor who will match individual donations up to $50,000, and Carpenter said CAA has raised $45,000 toward that match.

The goal, he said, is to avoid limiting participation in extracurricular activities due to the funding shortfall. To that end, the CAA is raising as much money as possible while working with MLSD officials to refine the budget and keep costs down.

Donors have been generous - both local businesses and individuals have donated, large amounts ($5,000 and $10,000 in some cases) and small. A Moses Lake graduate living in Oklahoma sent $10,000, Parrish said.

The students are pitching in as well. A fundraiser is scheduled for Aug. 5, where extracurricular participants will assemble in the Moses Lake High School gym and start talking to people to raise money.

“It’s student-driven,” Parrish said.

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com .

Community Athletics and Activities

CONTACT:

CAABooster.com

Donation site: https://bit.ly/MLCAA

contact@caabooster.com

MANAGING BOARD:

Ryan Carpenter, President

Jeremy Huberdeau, Vice President

James Gentzinger, Vice president

Eva Olson, Secretary

Cody Parrish, Treasurer