Buy a brick, build a school

Fund-raising for four new classrooms at the Sisters Elementary School is picking up--though much more is still needed--following a letter sent out last week to potential contributors.

"Before Superintendent Steve Swisher left for vacation, $5,300 had just come in," said project manager Bill Willitts.

Willitts said the most popular donation was $250 for a brick engraved with the name of the donor that will be "permanently affixed to the face of the school."

Donation levels range from $1 to $10,000. Volunteers are trying to raise $125,000 to build classroom space worth about $450,000 if volunteer labor and donated materials were not involved.

On Tuesday, Willitts said, QMI was to be pouring concrete for the foundation of the school. Ultimately, QMI will donate about 70 yards of concrete to the effort, worth more than $4,000.

"This was even more remarkable since QMI is not a Sisters company," said Willitts. The donation was organized by local contractor Dennis Neel of Neel's A-1 Contracting, Willitts added.

Steve Keeton of Steve Keeton Construction and Nick Cristiano spent several days bending steel and setting up forms for the foundation pour this week, Willitts added.

While potential large donors have been contacted, such as the Oregon Foundation and the Fred Meyer Trust, the bulk of the fund-raising may come from small donations from Sisters School District residents.

And local hard work. Lots of it.