Foundation gives $250K to health center

$250,000 donation

We’ve been working hard and quietly over the years to gather some money for that. And, after you all break ground on the 14th, at that point, there will be some donors that will step up. I wanted to bring you a check for the first part of the dollars we’ve raised.”

Roger Ricketts, North Lee Community Foundation

LEE COUNTY – A campaign to help finish off the remaining costs of the new county health department/EMS facility officially kicked off Monday morning.
Roger Ricketts with the North Lee Community Foundation presented supervisors with a check for $250,000 and said additional checks would be presented when ground is broken.
Supervisor Chuck Holmes, who also sits on the foundation board of directors, said the foundation plans to send out information packs to every home in Lee County to kick off the campaign with hopes of raising $500,000 towards the project.
Ricketts said the foundation has been working on raising funds for the project for some time.
“I’m here today because some time ago the North Lee Community Foundation wanted to help Lee County raise some dollars for the new Meller Family Health Center,” he said.
“We’ve been working hard and quietly over the years to gather some money for that. And after you all break ground on the 14^th, at that point, there will be some donors that will step up. I wanted to bring you a check for the first part of the dollars we’ve raised.”
He said the foundation has committed themselves to raising at least $500,000 and he had money still in the bank that was drawing interest.
“As you begin the building, I will be coming back here to bring you additional checks,” he said.
He shared a few stories from one donor in Bettendorf, Iowa and another from Fort Madison.
The woman in Bettendorf grew up in Fort Madison and wanted Ricketts to know how important it was for her to get the Health Department out of the former prison property.
He also introduced Ruth Taylor as another donor who has made an undisclosed donation to the project on behalf of her and her husband Glen Taylor. Ruth worked at Sheaffer Pen for four decades and is a long-time resident of Fort Madison.
“She thought it was important enough for Lee County to have a health department facility that was accessible for elderly and easy to get to to help our citizens. So she wrote a check and I’ll never tell you how much, but these are the people the health department helps on a daily basis,” Ricketts said.
He said if anyone knows anybody who would donate a check to the health department, he, and Lee County Health Department Administrator Michele Ross, will go visit them.
“I’ve told a number of people that I will leave no stone unturned in my quest to find dollars to help build this building.”
Holmes said the foundation is – I think this is supposed to be isn't, right??? charging a dime to the county for the campaign.
“We want everyone to know they are welcome to come forward and make a tax-deductible contribution to the North Lee County Foundation.”
He said any dollars contributed to the fund will stay in that fund and would not be transferred to any other fund.
Chairman Garry Seyb said words aren’t enough to express his gratitude to the foundation for stepping up to help with the project.
“This is really what is going to help put us over the mark and there are so many different organizations that have been part of this and North Lee will be one of those substantial foundational groups that help make this a reality,” Seyb said.
“Our goal has been to build this building to support both our health department and EMS service without local tax dollar support. And we will not bond for this project. It’s a testament to the trust people have in the foundation to help support this project.”
The county currently has $5,000,000 towards the $6.5 million total project cost. Those funds include the foundation’s initial contribution of $250,000, $1 million in remaining ARPA funds, a $975,000 USDA Emergency Rural Health Care grant, a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant, and a $2.1 million federal appropriation secured by U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks.
A ground-breaking for the Meller Family Health Center is set for Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. out on the site which was donated to the project by Glen Meller and his family.