A fund created to support Brown County elementary students is providing hand sanitizer to local classrooms as students return this fall.
The Chuck & Will Kirlin Fund was established in memory of Chuck Kirlin, a teacher at Van Buren and Helmsburg elementaries. He died in 2016 at age 36 after battling a brain tumor.
Through this fund, and with the help of Brown County Boy Scouts, 24 gallons of hand sanitizer have been supplied to all six local schools.
Jenise Bohbrink, of the Brown County Community Foundation, created the connection. The purpose of the Chuck & Will Kirlin Fund is to support Brown County elementary school children through special projects or events.
“As I was reviewing funds that needed to be paid out yet this year, I was thinking about the need of the schools and how this fund might be able to help all the schools,” she said.
Bohbrink had spoken with Jim Oliver, the scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 190, at the Howard Hughes Memorial Morel Mushroom Sale, and he had mentioned the troop’s ability to get hand sanitizer at a really good rate for their fundraiser.
“So, it hit me: The schools will need hand sanitizer and we can work together and help several groups benefit,” Bohbrink said.
She reached out to Brown County Schools Superintendent Laura Hammack to verify the need, then approached Bob Kirlin, Chuck’s father, to propose the partnership. Bob embraced the idea.
The order was fulfilled, benefiting the Scouts, the schools, and the community. The Scouts even took the additional step to order smaller pumps to distribute small amounts of hand sanitizer.
“It is deeply appreciated,” Hammack said at the July 31 Brown County COAD meeting when the gift was announced.
“I love the ‘why’ behind that gift,” she added.
The Brown County Community Foundation supports charitable organizations in broad areas of community need — education, social services, health care, arts and humanities, and environment — with the goal of building “a stronger, healthier Brown County.” With questions, call the BCCF at 812-988-4882.
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