BROKEN BOW – Custer County’s Salvation Army chapter presented $7000 to several communities at its Tuesday meeting.
The money was divided between two causes: swimming lessons and area food pantries.
Arnold, Ansley, Callaway, and the Sargent and Taylor area each received $750 apiece for their food pantry programs, and Ansley, Arnold, Callaway, and Sargent were given $500 each to go toward swimming lessons. Broken Bow received $2000 toward its swimming lessons from the chapter.
Broken Bow City Administrator David Schmidt, on hand to accept the $2000 check going toward Broken Bow’s swimming lessons, said that with pool season close to opening, the summer provides an exceptional opportunity for area youth beyond just affordable lessons.
“These kids learning to swim at such a young age, it’s such an important life skill that they’re going to carry with them forever.”
Schmidt went on to say that the Salvation Army’s donation will have quite a ripple effect, so to speak, even if it isn’t felt outwardly.
“It’s such an important thing, from a safety aspect. You can’t really measure the accidents that don’t happen, so I think it’s a wonderful gift and an asset to the community.”
Area pools will have roughly a month or so to figure out how best to implement their swimming lesson money; public pools will start to open in June.
