Schweitzers donate $1.7M for GS Lodge

A $1.7 million gift to the Girls Scouts from Ed and Beatriz Schweitzer was announced last week. Pam Lund, cheif executive officer for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, said the donation will be used for building of a new lodge facility at Camp Four Echoes on Coeur d’Alene Lake.

“This will be a true partnershp with the Schweitzers and Girls Scouts,” Lund noted in her release.

Schweitzer is founder of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman.

The current lodge at Camp Four Echoes has served the Girls Scouts for 70 years. The lodge was originally built by the Spokane Central Lions Club in 1940 and has undergone changes and additions over the years.

The camp on the lake has become a destination campground for Girl Scout Troops around the United States. It also has developed an international following, Lund said.

Building a new lodge at Four Echoes was one of three goals set by the scouts in 2009, and the goal has received extraordinary support from new and long-time volunteers.

Other goals in the 2009 campaign are to achieve financial sustainabilty and develop new programs to include science, technology, engineering and math in the Girl Scout program.

“The generousity of the Schweitzers’ gift will make our Girl Scout program vision a reality for girls in every community, large and small, thoroughout Eastern Washington and the Panhandle of North Idaho,” Lund explained.