BRANDON AND KIRA ACHEN PLEDGE $25,000 FOR THE ATHLETIC COMPLEX IN FIRST MATCHING DONATION FOR THE WEST LIBERTY FOODS GIFT
WEST LIBERTY, IA – Former West Liberty High School graduate, Kira Achen, and her husband, West Liberty Foods CEO Brandon, are giving the school $25,000 for the new athletic complex. On June 27th the school district announced that West Liberty Foods, a large turkey producing company based in West Liberty, is giving $500,000 to the project with a matching challenge. Brandon is CEO of West Liberty Foods, he and Kira have four children in the district - Eloise age 10, Levi age 8, Vivian age 5, and Charlie age 4 - and they will be the first family to give towards the match.
“I’m so happy to see this project moving forward. I graduated from West Liberty, and we have four kids in the school district,” said Kira. “I am excited about the opportunities this complex will provide for our youth and for the town of West Liberty.”
Kira also stated this is an opportunity for them to give their own kids a lesson on giving back to the community.
“Brandon and I want our kids to understand that what you put into the community comes back in folds,” said Kira, who has volunteered for many West Liberty betterment initiatives over the years.
As CEO of a major corporation, Brandon said the skills and life lessons kids learn from extracurricular activities and athletic competition are invaluable.
“We employ over 800 individuals at West Liberty Foods, and our success depends on teamwork,” said Brandon. “There’s no doubt that kids who participate in activities outside of school are better prepared for the workforce due to the experience they gain from juggling a full schedule, disciplining themselves to practice and hone skills, and working with teammates towards a common goal.
The Achens have decided to put their gift towards the locker room facility that will be built by the football field. The West Liberty football team has never had a locker room by the stadium and currently huddles outside by a storage shed at half time to discuss plays and prep for the second half.
“The stadium locker room is not the most glamorous part of the project, but is definitely one of the most needed,” said Activities Director, Adam Loria. “We play in some cold, rainy, and windy weather. It’s tough for the coach to go over second half strategy in that type of weather, and all schools we play have a locker room facility. I’m thrilled the Achens have chosen this building and can’t thank them enough for their gift.”
The Achens are excited to see this athletic complex, a long-time school district dream, becoming a reality. They hope their four children will get a lot of use out of the facilities along with many other kids in the district. They also believe the complex will enhance the community and make it attractive to families and potential West Liberty Foods employees.
“I love West Liberty,” said Kira. “This town has so much going for it – diversity, a historic downtown, restaurants and entertainment. I can’t wait to see what this project and many others in the works do for West Liberty over the next five years. I believe a lot of families will take a hard look at West Liberty and consider calling our town their home.”
The $500,000 gift from West Liberty Foods was announced one week ago on June 27th and makes the company the keynote sponsor for the entire complex. When the district meets the $500,000 match, they will be 90% of the way to their goal. Fundraising has already topped $1.3 million in the first three months since the kickoff.
“Fundraising has gone much better than anticipated,” said Superintendent Shaun Kruger. “When I started, I knew these facilities would be critical to move the district forward, but funding everything can be tricky. The fundraising, and especially the huge boost from West Liberty Foods and now Brandon and Kira, is going to fast-track everything. I want to personally thank Brandon and Kira for their gift, and thank Brandon for presenting this project to the West Liberty Foods board and helping move us forward.”
The first phase of groundwork goes to bid in July and the school district plans to select a contractor in August to break ground on the south side of the high school. The renderings of the complex are almost finalized and have been posted on the district’s website for the community to view.
“When I heard about the new athletic complex, I was very excited,” said Brandon. “Kira and I want to thank everyone involved with the project for their hard work and the school administrators for their leadership in the district.”
Contacts:
Shaun Kruger, West Liberty Superintendent 319-627-2116
Adam Loria, West Liberty Activities Director 319-627-2116