Students at Fort Dodge elementary schools had a special visit this week from Mike Artell, an author and illustrator of children’s books.

That visit was courtesy of a group of Fort Dodge Senior High School alumni that has been a steady, but relatively little-known, supporter of the local public schools since 1998.

The Fort Dodge Senior High School Alumni Association paid the expenses for the Artell visit. Every year, the association pays for an author to visit the schools.

It also funds five $1,000 scholarships for students graduating from Fort Dodge Senior High who are enrolling at Iowa Central Community College and have at least one parent who graduated from the FDSH.

The late Herb Bennett, a member of the class of 1939, started the group.

Its articles of incorporation state that members must be graduates of the “Fort Dodge Public High School.”

Fostering a connection between Fort Dodge, its schools and the alumni spread across the country is one of the primary goals of the group.

Providing money to pay for things like visits by authors is the other primary goal of the association.

Teachers can apply for money from the association to pay for educational needs not paid for by the school district’s budget.

FDSH graduates don’t automatically become members. They must sign up and pay annual dues.

Members get a newsletter three times a year that’s full of information about current events in Fort Dodge.

While it remains low key, the association is an invaluable supporter of our local public schools that has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to enrich the learning experiences of students.

We are pleased that such an organization is in our community. We thank the members for their efforts to support and help our students.