I have been an employee of the Tahoe Truckee School District since 2008, and I have been teaching English Language Development (language acquisition to our non-native English speakers) at Truckee Elementary School since 2016. When discussing spring, I asked my class what they were the most excited about, and the majority said (without hesitation), riding their bikes. Almost off-hand, I asked if they all had helmets? I was shocked when many (if not most) said no. I went to the Truckee Optimists to apply for a grant to purchase 50 helmets for my students so that they could have a fun and safe time this summer, and they were very generous — their grant would fund the helmets that I had found on Amazon.com. When I went to place the order, however, I found that the helmets would be shipping from China, and would not arrive until October, which would not help our students in time for this summer. Hoping to receive some type of a discount, I contacted Scheel’s in Sparks, and told them the situation. Instead of offering me a discount, they made a full donation for the portion we needed, and I now have 50 gorgeous, band-new bike helmets from Scheels that I can give to my students, who could not afford to purchase one on their own. These organizations just made a difference in the lives of 50 local families; if you need a local charity to donate to, may I suggest the Truckee Optimists? If you are interested in purchasing sporting equipment that cannot be purchased in town, may I suggest Scheel’s?

Jess DeLallo is teacher at Truckee Elementary School