COEUR d’ALENE — While a lighthearted vibe surrounds the University of Lake Coeur d'Alene, its mission is a serious one.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. During April, all proceeds from the Coeur d'Alene Sunrise Rotary Club's ULCDA T-shirt sales will benefit Safe Passage, a Coeur d'Alene nonprofit that provides help and support in the community for those affected by violence.

Safe Passage offers an emergency shelter, medical support, housing referrals, financial assistance, help with child care, law enforcement advocacy, abuse education and more. Last year, Safe Passage sheltered 123 adults and 111 children, saved 1,622 survivors, answered 1,272 hotline calls and reached 2,832 youths.

Safe Passage has been selected as the first beneficiary of Sunrise Rotary's ULCDA campaign to sell the fun T-shirts while making a serious impact in the community.

"We just continue to feel so honored and supported by the community, to be the first people they think of for this and knowing our families are in such need during these really hard times," Safe Passage executive director Chauntelle Lieske said Thursday. "Having the community stand behind us so strong, it just keeps us going."

The ULCDA concept launched in 2019 as a local, inside joke that touted the fictional university as "the institute of higher recreation" with a tagline, "Get the degree you always wanted from the university that never was." Its mascot is the Fighting Kokanee.

This has now transformed into an opportunity to have fun while supporting area nonprofits.

"It's a rebranding opportunity for us, with ULCDA," Sunrise Rotary President Dustin Ainsworth said in a Feb. 28 Press article. "We definitely all got behind this idea so we’ve taken some creative direction."

The T-shirts are about $20 each. The goal is to sell at least 100 shirts. Long-sleeve Ts and collared polos in a variety of colors are also available for varying prices through the ULCDA link on the Sunrise Rotary website.

Info: https://bit.ly/3qRH1J6