SOAR building drive reaches halfway point

One year ago, Tom Coffield, Managing Director of Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation, began writing grant proposals for a new SOAR activities building.

His passion for SOAR has resulted in $485,000 to date in dedicated funds from five foundations. This is about half of the funding required for construction of the new SOAR facility, which will be built west of the new Sisters High School.

The new building will combine all of the district's housing needs in one location, including after-school latch-key and tutorial projects, Taekwondo, arts and theater and a gymnasium. This centralization of programs is expected to save SOAR close to $10,000 a year, which it now spends in rent in a variety of locations for both programs and storage.

Coffield stated that some of the grants require local funding support. The SOAR Foundation needs this support while it continues to raise funds for scholarships and programs each year through its Discount Cards, fundraisers and private donations.

"We need to raise about $100,000 locally," Coffield said. "The response to our grant requests has been tremendous, but all the funds have come from outside our community. We need the financial assistance of people here in Sisters to make this building a reality"

The SOAR program has received widespread recognition for the quality of programs it has initiated in seven years and the benefit this has had for Sisters families and business community.

Tom Coffield was chosen as a keynote speaker at the statewide Community School Alliance, sponsored by the Ford Family Foundation, in June of this year.

The SOAR Foundation welcomes any ideas for accomplishing local financial support for the building. They request calls be made to the SOAR office or board members (SOAR 549-2091).