BASIC (Basic Assistance for Students in the Community) has been awarded a grant of $7,000 by BIGHORN Cares, the charity of the BIGHORN Golf Club in Palm Desert.

The grant will fund bus transportation for the students of the 2018 Reading Academy, which begins July 19 at the UCI Steele-Burnand Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center.

BIGHORN Cares, a charity program now in its fourth year, received 135 applications from local area non-profit organization requesting over $1.7 million for projects. BASIC’s Reading Academy was one of the thirty-nine “extremely worthwhile innovative programs” to be selected.

Joann Stang, Reading Academy Director and Joanne Ingwall, BASIC CFO, attended the BIGHORN Awards Dinner Jan. 17 to receive the check.

The program is free to the students who also get door-to-door bus service, a hot breakfast and lunch each day, t-shirts and backpacks and books for home libraries, all intended to build identity and pride. Achievements are celebrated in the closing program and perfect attendance earns a nice reward.

BASIC invites members of the Borrego community to join us by volunteering time and talents to the Reading Academy and supporting the work with donations.

Full article can be found in the Feb. 8 issue!