Hartzler Foundation Awarded $5,000 Grant

A little more than a year ago, an effort was started to memorialize one of Sidney's youth and community athletics supporters.

The effort has resulted in nearly reaching the goal of financing a regulation basketball court in memory of Alan Hartzler.

The Alan Hartzler Community Fund is pleased to announce it has received a $5,000 grant from the Oregon Trail Community Foundation.

These funds will support the construction of the Alan Hartzler Memorial Basketball Court in Sidney's Legion Park.

Alan Hartzler was born and raised in Sidney, and was always looking for ways to give back to the community. After his death, his family and friends wanted to find a way to honor Alan's memory, and give back to the community that he was so heavily involved in. He was an avid sports lover, and especially loved coaching youth basketball.

The Alan Hartzler Community Fund set out to build an outdoor basketball court in his honor at Sidney's Legion Park. With the grant funds received from the Oregon Trail Community Foundation, as well as numerous other grants and fundraisers, the court is now over 90 percent funded. With funding nearly completed, the project is scheduled to start construction in the Spring of 2121. Upon completion, the court will be gifted back to the City of Sidney.

The plan is for the committee to evaluate how far the project is, and what is left to complete. Then they will make a presentation to the Sidney City Council.

“I couldn't have done it without the community's support,” Micki Hartzler said.

She specifically mentioned Dan Schoening and Wyatt Surber for their support of the project, and her family and Alan's family.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Alan Hartzler Community Fund, visit the “Alan Hartzler Basketball Fundraiser” Facebook page, for upcoming events and construction updates. Donations can be made to https://www.otcf.org/donate-to-a-fund.