Members of the Rotary Club of Port Arthur presented a $4,000 donation to the Port Arthur Health Department to fund 58 pack‑and‑play play yards for the city’s infant safe‑sleep program.

Dr. Jesus Acosta, president of the Rotary Club of Port Arthur, and Art Thomas, foundation chair, described a district matching grant program that provides half the funds and noted their club has successfully secured the grant previously. Thomas said the donation will provide 58 pack‑and‑plays for infants up to age 1.

Health Department staff described the local safe‑sleep effort as a coalition that began work in 2018 and started distributing pack‑and‑plays in 2019. A health‑department representative said 67% of recent infant deaths in the community were preventable and that two‑thirds of those were related to unsafe sleep practices; the pack‑and‑play distribution is intended to give parents both education and an immediate, safe place for infants to sleep.

The donation will allow the health department to continue distributing play yards to families identified through hospital or community screenings and to extend training and coalition work into neighboring counties this spring. Council members thanked the Rotary Club and health department staff for the partnership and noted the program’s role in preventing infant deaths.

The council did not take separate action on the donation; the presentation was accepted and council members offered public thanks.