Coos Bay Schools Community Foundation Announces Local Grant Awards, New Helfrich Family Award, Aug. 27

The Coos Bay Schools Community Foundation will award 39 grants worth $22,530 to programs providing students with expanded opportunities and unique educational experiences in Coos Bay Public Schools. Grants will be presented to selected teachers and staff on September 1st at the district-wide welcome meeting at Marshfield High School auditorium. Grants will provide funding for much-needed items for Coos Bay students of all ages, including microscopes and other science equipment, art supplies, physical education equipment, and books and other items to help elementary students improve reading skills. The Foundation board is pleased to announce a new award this year, the Helfrich Family Award. Proceeds from an event in February honoring Mark Helfrich were used to create a new endowment fund for the Coos Bay Schools Community Foundation. Coach Helfrich asked that this award recognize the contributions and service of his parents, Mike and Linda Helfrich, who tirelessly served both the community and Coos Bay Schools. His father Mike was a volunteer assistant football coach at Marshfield for 15 years, and served as a long-term member of the both the Marshfield Scholarship Committee and the Booster Club. He raised funds to cover participation fees for low-income students who could otherwise not afford to be involved in sports, and he was instrumental in the capital campaign for a new stadium and turf field at Marshfield High School. Coach Helfrich’s mother Linda was a beloved teacher at Milner Crest Elementary and an enthusiastic sports mom. Coach Helfrich’s brother John is also a graduate of Marshfield High School. The Coos Bay Schools Community Foundation was formed during 2007 to promote programs for the arts, academics, activities and athletics for the benefit of the students of the Coos Bay School District by raising funds through community partnerships. The Foundation is a community-based, not-for-profit organization separate from the Coos Bay School District. People interested in donating to the Foundation can contact their local school, the Coos Bay School District Office, or the Foundation’s website, www.coosbayschoolsfoundation.org.