Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Debbie Sinkbonner outside Eddy's restaurant in Colfax.
WHITMAN COUNTY - A 1998 Colfax High School graduate and her mother have started a program to assist Whitman County restaurants, finishing work with their 19th last weekend.
The "Pullman-Colfax Quaranteam," modeled after a similar program in Spokane, began in December, with a request on a Facebook page for contributions to fund a targeted amount of free meals to the public.
"People donate through Venmo, Paypal, Facebook...." said Hearther Kortness, the daughter, who now lives in Spokane with her husband and two children.
Each week Kortness and her mother, Debbie Sinkbonner of Pullman, pick a local restaurant. Last weekend it was Sol Vallarta in Colfax, with a goal to raise $400 to cover 40 $10 gift cards.
Two weeks ago, it was Eddy's Chinese American, with a goal to raise $400, to cover 40 meals, plus a tip for owner Eddy Ng.
"It's good, they did a wonderful job. That's very noble of them to help the community like that. It brings out the beauty of living in a small town, " Ng said. "It's tough, because who's gonna help (restaurants) after they close? "
At Eddy's, the meals were given out to the first 40 people on the designated day, starting at 4 p.m. (takeout, one per person). Kortness and Sinkbonner, who works at Dreamworks in Colfax, helped on site at the restaurant that day. Sinkbonner is a former longtime waitress at the Colfax spot now in its 40th year in operation.
Other area restaurants supported by the local Quaranteam have been Porchlight Pizza, in Pullman, for which the group raised $250 for 10 pizzas and drinks which went to the Pullman Fire Department and Police Department.
The group has met their goal each time.
"We put it out and people are very generous and they donate," said Kortness.
On Jan. 28, the focus was the Rialto Tavern in St. John, for which funds were raised, in excess, for 40 meals, plus tips, for a total of more than $650.
As restaurants begin to open up again, likely in limited-capacity stages, Kortness expects the local program to continue in the foreseeable future.
On Feb. 25, they turn to the Palouse Caboose, in Palouse.
"We aren't stopping anytime soon," said Kortness, who was laid off from her scheduling job with Cancer Care Northwest last year when the pandemic began. She has since been working with her kids with remote learning. Her husband got laid off as a cook.
"I guess I felt like I needed to help," she said.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
Reader Comments(0)