Herald classic supports literacy

COEUR D'ALENE - Golfers from the Northwest braved the rain Sunday afternoon to participate in the inaugural Columbia Basin Herald Newspapers In Education (NIE) Golf Classic hosted by the Coeur D'Alene Resort.

The golf tournament helped raise funds for the NIE program said Columbia Basin Herald Circulation Director Tom Hinde.

"(The tournament funds) what we call our Newspapers In Education program," he said. "The newspapers are used in the classrooms for literacy, writing and education. We put out 525 to 675 newspapers a day during the school year. There is no cost to the schools and any teacher who wants to participate can."

The NIE program provides newspapers to elementary schools, middle schools and high schools throughout the Columbia Basin. NIE also supplies newspapers to Big Bend Community College, Hinde said.

"They use the issues for a myriad of classroom activities," he said.

The title sponsors for this year's event were Horizon Credit Union and Horizon Northwest Mortgage and Hinde said they were a perfect fit to help support the NIE program.

"They have financial planning for young people in the local high schools," Hinde said. "Today's students are tomorrow's employees. It is a self-feeding circle and education is the key."

Hinde looks to make the golf tournament an annual event and couldn't have put on this year's tournament without the sponsoring businesses, he said.

"It is all possible by the businesses and the men and women who helped sponsor the event," he said. "Skone Irrigation Inc, the Columbia Basin Railroad, USA Weekend Magazine and the Moses Lake Community Health Center helped make this event possible. And I can't say enough about the Coeur D'Alene Resort and Tournament Director Jeff Kries. We were very fortunate."

The NIE program is looking for sponsors for next year's tournament and Hinde said it is a unique opportunity.

"Any time a business donates $1,000 over the course of the year to NIE will receive four golfer entries into the tournament as well as hole sponsorship," he said.

Despite the weather Columbia Basin Herald Managing Editor Bill Stevensen said he enjoyed the opportunity to participate in the tournament and support the NIE program.

"The tournament is a great way to support Newspapers In Education and take advantage of an opportunity to play golf on one of the Northwest's premier golf courses," he said. "Despite the weather, we all had a great time."

For more information about the NIE program and for details about sponsoring next year's tournament contact Columbia Basin Herald Customer Service Manager and NIE Coordinator Jenna Erickson at (509) 765-8882.