By Reader Staff
The Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Sandpoint program recently announced a new community fundraising campaign, “Protect Our Story,” in support of preservation efforts at the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum.
The museum currently cares for more than 400,000 historical objects, from Indigenous artifacts to family heirlooms passed through generations. Together, these artifacts represent the shared story of Bonner County, but many are vulnerable to damage due to aging materials and limited archival storage.
Funds raised through the campaign will help provide proper archival storage and preservation to protect these irreplaceable pieces of local history for generations to come.
“Bonner County’s story lives on in these objects,” stated Leadership Sandpoint member Willie Wittezehler, who is helping organize the campaign. “Each piece represents a story from our community’s past. This campaign is about making sure those stories remain protected and accessible for future generations.”
The campaign is led by participants in Leadership Sandpoint, a program of the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce that brings together local professionals to collaborate on community service initiatives.
As part of the campaign, the Leadership Sandpoint team will partner with local businesses and community members to raise funds through sponsorships, donations and a community event. Early lead sponsors supporting the campaign include Bonner General Health and Idaho Forest Group.
The ongoing fundraising effort will culminate in a Local History Trivia Night and Celebration of North Idaho History on Saturday, May 2 at the Sandpoint Organic Agriculture Center (10881 N. Boyer Road). The event will feature refreshments, a silent auction and a trivia competition between teams representing local businesses. The event will be ticketed and open to the public, with ticket information to be announced soon.
A campaign video introducing the initiative will be released soon on the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum’s YouTube channel as part of the public launch of the effort.
Community members can learn more about the campaign and event at bit.ly/LocalHistoryTrivia.
For updates, follow the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Sandpoint on social media.
