'Thank you' is not enough

I wish I could go back in time so that the Whitefish High School students and I would have an opportunity to meet Mr. Jim Campbell. My recent experiences lead me to believe that Mr. Campbell must have been a deeply generous man, committed to children and to his community.

I make this statement because I have seen what those who knew Mr. Campbell and who represent him in the Iron Horse Foundation have done to honor his memory. Some time ago, the Iron Horse Foundation made a decision to benefit our Whitefish students by donating $1 million to create an outstanding fitness and training facility in our newly remodeled high school.

In an era when the health and fitness of our young people are a national concern, the Iron Horse Foundation has come forward with funds that will allow the Whitefish School District to build a facility designed to develop and maintain students’ health, strength, and fitness.

In addition, the Iron Horse Foundation is donating the resources necessary to remodel locker room spaces in order to accommodate athletic teams during events. To the memory of Mr. Campbell, and to the generous donors of the Iron Horse Foundation, words of gratitude are simply not enough.

This generous donation to the health and fitness center comes at a time when our educators and school designers are hoping for donations that will allow the completion of two other significant spaces in the new high school: a multi-use performance space capable of seating 240 people, and a media-technology suite. Within these two new learning spaces, students will explore complex problems and use technology to research real-life projects, make global connections, and present their work to real audiences.

Just as the fitness center will develop health as a lifetime habit, so will the new curriculum and learning spaces develop within our students powerful communication and problem-solving skills for life.

As the high school project moves ahead, we are realizing how community generosity like the donation from the Iron Horse Foundation is helping make our hopes for our students a reality. Once again, our humble thank you to the Iron Horse Foundation.

— Kate Orozco, superintendent of Whitefish Schools, Kerry Drown, WHS principal, and trustees of the Whitefish School Board