Gem State Wire

Citizens Alliance of Idaho, a non-partisan group encouraging greater citizen engagement and oversight of Idaho state government, plans to give out five $500 sponsorships to youth sports teams across Idaho in October as a way to “give back to the communities that have helped protect our shared values.”

According to a press release, the $500 sponsorships will be available to any non-school youth sports team selected from communities within state legislative districts with the most grassroots engagement and are represented by a legislator in “good standing” with the Citizens Alliance of Idaho Pledge.

“As a citizen based organization that truly believes in Idaho values, strong families and relationships, it is really important that we look for ways to give back to the communities that have helped protect our shared values," Citizens Alliance of Idaho Executive Director Matt Edwards said in a release. "The past few years have been extremely challenging for us all, and to see the amount of people across our state become more engaged with the local issues is encouraging. We simply want to recognize that hard work, and do it in a way that enriches this state’s most precious resource, our children.” 

The Citizens Alliance of Idaho Pledge outlines ten commitments based on shared values found in the Idaho State Constitution and the U.S. Constitution that state legislators make to their constituents.

In determining which communities are eligible for the youth sports team sponsorship, the Citizens Alliance of Idaho (CAI) calculated which of the 18 districts represented by a member of the legislature “in good standing" “with the pledge exhibited the greatest level of citizen engagement." According to CAI, the five districts with the highest amount of citizen engagement and are eligible for the sponsorship are: 1. District 14 (Eagle, Star): Rep Gayann DeMordaunt; 2. District 3 (Kootenai County): Rep. Tony Wisniewski; 3. District 1 (Bonner County, Boundary County): Rep. Heather Scott, Rep. Sage Dixon; 4. District 23 (Owyhee County, Elmore County): Sen. Christy Zito; 5. District 8 (Central Idaho): Rep. Dorothy Moon.

To qualify for the sponsorship, a team parent or guardian must fill out an application found on the CAI website. Winning teams can use the funds at their discretion so long as it benefits the entire team and not used for personal use. The deadline to apply is Oct. 7.

 The Citizens Alliance of Idaho is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization whose mission is to “bring honesty and integrity back to Idaho politics” in a civil, transparent, and respectful way.