Voting is under way for Kalispell Middle School to win a fruit orchard and name it Grace Orchard after longtime Principal Barry Grace.

Allison Mitchell, Community Care Team coordinator at the middle school, is actively seeking enough online votes to win the first cycle of voting for the Communities Take Root contest that ends May 30.

The Community Care Team — middle school staffers who work to improve the student environment — filled out an competitive application and was selected to be among 100 schools and community organizations in the running to win the orchard contest sponsored by Dreyer’s Fruit Bars in partnership with The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation.

If the middle school wins, the orchard site would be located behind the school. The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation would provide plants, materials, equipment, community workshops and training to install the orchard.

Visit www.communitiestakeroot.com to vote and receive a $1 coupon for Dreyer’s Fruit Bars.

At the website, Kalispell Middle School is pegged on an interactive map.

KMS has received enough votes to be leading, but others are closing in. In a recent count, Kalispell Middle School had 3,674 votes with Todd Central High School in Kentucky not far behind with 3,089 votes.

“I keep telling kids this is a marathon — one person, one vote a day,” Mitchell said.

As part of the application, the team had to do a bit of research to see if an orchard would be suitable in Kalispell. The research looked at soil type and how the orchard would serve the community.

“First of all the fruit would go directly in our cafeteria,” Mitchell said. “Eventually, we would have an abundance of fruit to donate to food banks. We would provide opportunities for students to tend to the orchard and make connections for kids and their food sources.”

Mitchell said the Community Care Team hopes to grow apples, pears and plums if the school wins.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected]