Commissioners approve no-fee Western Sports Park rental for Davis Education Foundation fundraiser

The Davis County Commission voted Sept. 16 to approve a no-fee rental of Building 5 at Western Sports Park for the Davis Education Foundation’s annual fundraiser, scheduled for Dec. 3. The agreement was pulled from the consent agenda for discussion and then approved by voice vote.

The move puts the county-owned facility at no cost to the foundation for its event, which the foundation said helps youth assemble “grab-and-go” protein kits to distribute to students in need. Ginger Coulam, representing the Davis Education Foundation, described the nonprofit’s work to support students experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

"What we are is, part of the district. We are the part that takes care of the at risk kids. So we take care of 1,300, homeless and at risk kids so that we can make sure that we remove barriers so that they'll able to, go to school and get the education they need," Coulam said. She explained the foundation runs teen centers with showers, washers and dryers, food and study space and that the grab-and-go kits provide more substantial, ready-to-eat food than the foundation’s prior pantry packs.

Coulam said the grab-and-go program began when a Farmington-based group volunteered to prepare the kits. ‘‘The grab and goes are like a protein kit, and they have all kinds of protein and stuff in so that the, students can come in and they can grab them for, like, breakfast when they need to leave,’’ she said. She added the foundation serves about 100 unaccompanied minors who live in cars or couch-surf and cannot cook meals, and that the kits meet that need.

During discussion, a county commissioner noted the fundraiser’s local impact and reported recent results from last year’s event: the foundation received just under $12,000 in donations, assembled about 1,500 grab-and-go kits, and distributed about $340.10 in donated gift cards for youth. Commissioners thanked the foundation for its work and approved the rental agreement by voice vote.

The rental agreement concerns a single, one-day, no-fee use of Building 5 at Western Sports Park on Dec. 3 for the foundation’s event. The county noted prior years’ events were held at other venues, including the Davis Conference Center, which some volunteers found harder to reach.

The commission did not attach additional county funding to the agreement; the action was limited to approving the facility rental. The commission noted the Davis Education Foundation is a nonprofit partner that works with but is separate from the Davis School District.