The Longview Rotary Foundation provides funding support to many local and international projects and programs, all of which are funded primarily by the Tour de Blast. Over the past three years (July 2010 – June 2013), more than $139,000 has been contributed to the following local and international projects.
Local Literacy & Student Improvement
$2,278 was spent for 174 books donated to the Longview Public School Libraries in appreciation of our weekly program speakers
$14,000 was spent on 1,650 books donated to 28 preschool classroom libraries for daily, intentional instruction in rich vocabulary for Kindergarten reading readiness
$3,000 was spent on three annual benchmark literacy screenings of preschool students in 17 preschool programs to determine reading readiness progress
$12,200 was spent on literacy support for the students on the Head Start Wait List for once-a-week “Play and Learn” groups for 3-5 year olds and “Love Talk Play” groups for the infant/toddler wait list students to utilize a well-planned curriculum in literacy, language and math to help prepare these students to learn to read in Kindergarten
$2,000 was spent to support a Head Start Wait List Family Literacy Night for 75 – 150 families to come together for literacy activities and for all students to go home with a book for their home libraries
$1,724 was spent to purchase 251 books written by Walter Dean Myers for his visit to RA Long High School in April 2012. The librarian wanted all students inspired by the author’s visit to take home a free book.
$3,000 was spent on the Middle School Children’s After School Theatre Project, which promotes literacy through reading plays, writing skits and performance
$250 was spent on the Cowlitz County Adult Winter Reading Program conducted by the Longview Public Library
$764 was spent on purchasing 58 non-fiction books donated to the St. Helens Elementary School Library to help students learn to comprehend and analyze these types of text
$42,000 was spent awarding continuing education scholarships to Mark Morris High School, RA Long High School and Toutle High School seniors as well as Lower Columbia Community College students
$700 was spent sending students to the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy
Community Projects
$10,000 was donated to Longview Parks & Recreation to replace and upgrade playground equipment at Hemlock Park at Lake Sacajewea
$6,000 was donated to Community House on Broadway, the homeless shelter in Longview, for window replacement
$3,000 was donated to the Lower Columbia Public School Gardens for trellises at the Northlake Elementary School Garden
$600 was donated to support the Cowlitz County Drug Court Program
$500 was donated to support the Chinook District Boy Scouts of America Program
$4,500 was donated to various community programs, including Catlin Spray Park, Southwest Washington Symphony Children’s Concerts, Walk and Knock paper collection bags, Mark Morris High School Baseball, Longview Graduation Alcohol-Free Celebration, “Every 15 Minutes” Program, Cowlitz County Relay for Life, Emergency Support Shelter, and the Highlands Neighborhood Association
National and International Projects
$1,900 was donated for US Disaster Relief Aid
$2,500 was donated to the Rotary Club of Makindye in Kampala, Uganda to combat illiteracy in the impoverished Namungoona Village, a suburb in northwestern Kampala, by creating a literacy center with classes and computer training
$8,750 was donated to create a computer lab at a school serving orphans in Chiang Mai, Thailand
$4,989 was donated for a new well in Obambo, Kenya
$14,375 was spent on hosting foreign exchange students