Don K donation helps grandstands

The effort to rebuild the Glacier Babe Ruth grandstands in Columbia Falls got a boost last week.

Don “K” Subaru in Whitefish donated $3,742 to the project. The grandstands at the Sapa Johnsrud fields burned down last summer. A fundraising effort is underway to get them rebuilt by this summer.

“All of us at Don K are grateful for the patronage and loyalty of our customers who make it possible for us to give back in meaningful and lasting ways. Subaru’s Share the Love campaign provides us with a unique opportunity to bring our local involvement to life for the youth of the Valley,” Don Kaltschmidt, owner and dealer of Don K Subaru, said.

The Don “K” donation resulted from Subaru’s commitment to give a portion of the sale price of every new Subaru sold or leased during November 2016 to January 2017. In addition to the national campaign, Don “K” Subaru added $50 per Subaru sold or leased to the total contributed by Subaru.

Queen said they’ve raised about $110,000 to date, but the stands will cost about $300,000. The group is hoping to garner a Montana Department of Tourism grant to bridge the gap.

Queen said he was hoping to hear back on the grant application in the coming weeks. The need for the grandstands is urgent — Glacier Babe Ruth has several large tournaments planned this summer, but right now, no stands for spectators.