Local nonprofit Darby Community Partners has contributed to Darby Schools in the amount of $30,000 to kick-off overdue repairs on a damaged and leaky high school gym roof.
Raised through donations made at last August’s 2nd annual “Dreamin’ for Darby” family-friendly event at the Richard Cromwell Memorial Rodeo Grounds in Darby, community members came together to answer the ask to help benefit Darby school infrastructure upgrades, specifically contributing to fixing leaks in the gymnasium roof. Triple Creek Ranch was the first donor of the evening with a lead gift in the amount of $5,000.
With an estimated repair cost of $64,000, the gym roof is just one need on a long list of overdue fixes that the schools have been facing.
Tony Biesiot, Darby School District Superintendent, reflects “We are grateful for the continued support of DCP and all the collaborative stakeholders that help make Darby School District and community a wonderful place to learn, grow and succeed. Facilities are an important aspect to any school district as they help ensure safety and security, but also provide a sense of pride to those that walk among these facilities. Facility updates can often be pushed from year to year as many budgets of schools do not allow for these projects to be completed due to lack of funding. The commitment from DCP helped close the funding gap on the gym roof to make sure this update happened. Another one of our future school district projects is to replace the gym floor, as this is the original gym floor from when the gym was built in 1974. This is a major renovation project that could cost over $500,000.”
Darby Community Partners, 501(c)3, was established in 2022 by a group of local parents, teachers, Darby alumni, and community members, with the mission to unite students, family, and community near and far to promote lasting enrichment opportunities, school support and advocacy to benefit the youth and community of Darby.
“DCP saw a need to connect the overall community to Darby schools in order to provide additional support for our school administration, teachers and students. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the multitude of ways we can plug in, and I’ve been truly inspired by how many of our Bitterroot community members are willing to help,” says Lauren Rennaker, DCP Board President.
In addition to hosting an annual Dreamin’ for Daby fundraiser, the organization also helps to volunteer in the Darby schools by supporting teachers with extra assistance in the classroom, contributing to Staff and Teacher Appreciation Days, and other various needs throughout the school year. DCP plans to host a 2nd annual Adult Prom fundraiser this April in Darby as well.
For more information or to learn how you can get involved with Darby Community Partners, visit the Darby Community Partners page on Facebook or email darbycommunitypartners@gmail.com.