Flamingo fundraiser helps swimmers

You may see a flock of flamingos in the coming weeks traveling from Columbia Falls to Whitefish. It’s not some strange migration — it’s a fundraiser for the Columbia Falls-Whitefish high school swim teams.

The idea is for businesses or individuals to pay to have the flamingos removed from the front of their property, swim team coach Mike Nelson explained.

A person or business can pay to have them moved to another business or home, or they can buy “insurance” to assure they never come back.

The joint teams garnered approval from both school district boards earlier this year, but the team won’t get any school funding.

As a result, they need to raise $23,000 in the next few months to pay for the upcoming fall swim season. That includes money for coaches, travel and uniforms. The joint teams will practice at the Wave Aquatic and Fitness Center in Whitefish.

To help the team out or learn more about the fundraiser, contact Nelson at 406-871-2489 or e-mail him at coachmikenelson@gmail.com.