The Times Advocate, 2005-11-30, Page 1616
Exeter Times -Advocate
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Grand Bend Foundation doles out big dollars
GRAND BEND — Local
charitable community
groups received a pleasant
boost recently when the
Grand Bend Community
Foundation (GBCF)
announced $142,014 in
grants Saturday morning.
At a special presentation
at the Grand Bend Area
Community Health Centre,
GBCF chairperson Hank
Krech announced which
groups are receiving
grants from the
Foundation in 2005.
In a press release, he
said, "We are extremely
fortunate as a community
to have such a diversified
range of quality public
service initiatives going
on." He added, "It makes
the provision of these
grants very rewarding for
the Foundation, and I am
sure for the recipients as
well."
Formed in 2000 after the
sale of PUC assets to
Hydro One, GBCF has
grown the Foundation's
base assets from $1.5 mil-
lion to well over $2 mil-
lion, while consistently
increasing the grants from
investment proceeds
annually.
"We are delighted that
we have been able to con-
tinually grow our support
for this outstanding com-
munity," says Krech.
"Since the Foundation's
inception, we have now
provided a total of
$444,810 in grants back to
the community, and we
anticipate that this num-
ber will continue to grow
annually by a healthy
margin. This year's grant
allocations are significant-
ly higher than any year
previously."
Krech praised the high
quality of the grant appli-
cations received this year,
as well as the Grant
Allocations Committee's
diligence in reviewing
them and bringing recom-
mendations to the board.
He also commended the
Foundation's board for the
leadership role they have
taken in important com-
munity initiatives in 2005.
"The Foundation has
shown real leadership in
our role as 'the centre for
philanthropy' in our com-
munity," he explained.
"We have seen the
tremendous efforts our
various community groups
have made toward
improvements in environ-
mental and community
enhancement initiatives,"
explains Krech.
"We are pleased that
GBCF has been able to
assume a role in bringing
these efforts into a co-
ordinated plan that we
have taken to the munici-
pality for their further
support."
Grand Bend Community
Foundation is already
looking toward 2006 grant
applications, and encour-
ages any qualified com-
munity group with a
worthwhile project to
apply early.
The following are the
grants announced
Saturday:
• Ausable Bayfield
Conservation Foundation
— $15,000
This project is intended
to bring together a variety
of government agencies,
community groups and
special interest groups,
and also draw on current
expertise to develop a long
term management plan
for the Old Ausable River.
This plan will provide a
20 -year vision and man-
agement philosophy as
well as action items and
areas of responsibility for
the Old Ausable River
Watershed.
The Old Ausable River
bed is a community asset
which contributes to the
economic, environmental
and tourism benefits of the
Greater Grand Bend
Community.
• Grand Bend Adult Day
Centre — $11,462
This organization oper-
ates out of the Grand Bend
Area Community Health
Centre.
It provides support for
those with special needs
as well as encouraging
independent living. A team
of professional staff and
dedicated volunteers offer
progressive programs and
services in a welcoming
environment.
This project will provide
handicapped -accessible
doors to the garden, plus a
The Grand Bend Community Foundation (GBCF) announced $142,014 in grants to
local charitable organizations Saturday morning at the Grand Bend Area Community
Health Centre (GBACHC). Grants were given out to eight groups in the community.
Above from left are Jim Tomlinson and Marion Snow of VON Perth -Huron Palliative
Care, Susan Manz of Grand Bend Public School, Paul Weiland of GBACHC, Irene Hall
and Hank Krech of the GBCF, Cindy Maxfield of the GBACHC and Sue Davis of the
Grand Bend and District Optimist Club; below from left are Tom Prout of the Ausable
Bayfield Conservation Authority, Ron Hunt of the Rotary Club of Grand Bend, Hall and
Krech, Mardelle Hunt of the Grand Bend Adult Day Centre and Cindy Regan of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel School. (photos/Scott Nixon)
gazebo to provide shade, a
quiet area and a much
improved utilization of the
garden area. All will be
wheelchair accessible.
• Grand Bend Area
Community Health Centre
— $8,517
Last year the GBCF pro-
vided a grant for a diesel
generator for emergency
electrical power for the
entire Health Centre. This
grant will complete the
Foundation's support of
the GBACHC in the com-
pletion of a building to
house the generator.
• Grand Bend Area
Community Health Centre
— $8,020
This grant will provide
the GBACHC with a new
server to replace an exist-
ing older unit and provide
an additional back-up
server to ensure preserva-
tion of valuable computer
data.
These grants reflect
GBCF's understanding of
the importance of this
facility in the community
and the Foundation's sup-
port for ongoing improve-
ments in area health care.
• Grand Bend and
District Optimist Club —
$42,500
This is an ambitious pro-
gram by this well-estab-
lished service club to pro-
vide the youth in our com-
munity with improved
recreational facilities that
will also tie into existing
facilities. It is conditional
on the provision of match-
ing financial support from
the Optimists and the
Municipality of Lambton
Shores.
The project will provide
a themed playground on
the beach, plus a skate-
board park and outdoor
basketball courts built on
municipal lands near the
Youth Centre. The skate-
board and basketball facil-
ity will also serve as a
skate/ice pad in the win-
ter.
These facilities will tie
into a beach development
master plan for our youth
and tourists. They will also
provide the youth of our
community with facilities
for activity in conjunction
with the youth centre.
• Grand Bend Public
School — $18,670
This grant will provide
additional computers for
in -class education, and
musical instruments to
encourage and provide the
creative experience of
band performance.
The computers are sup-
ported by in -school staff
and board support. The
music program is support-
ed by individuals within
the school and volunteers
in the community.
These programs fall
within the mandate of the
Lambton Kent District
School Board but not with-
in the current budget.
• Our Lady of Mount
Carmel School — $10,000
This grant will provide
for the enhancement of
learning and technical
resources and also school
spirit. The funds will be
utilized for a wide variety
of materials to improve
the educational environ-
ment for the children in
the community. This grant
is funded in part by the
restricted Relouw Family
Endowment.
• Rotary Club of Grand
Bend — $25,000
These dollars are in sup-
port of two incentives
taken on by Rotary; first a
water quality and aware-
ness program and second-
ly The Grand Bend Rotary
Beach Enhancement
Program, Phase II.
They are two projects
that require considerable
work by Rotary and will
contribute to the enhance-
ment of our community.
The community will hear
more in the future about
these plans from this
active service club
Both these projects will
also require the matching
financial support of Rotary
and the Municipality of
Lambton Shores.
• VON Perth -Huron
Palliative Care Volunteer
Program — $2,845
The VON are a dedicated
group of volunteers who
provide support to individ-
uals in the community fac-
ing life-threatening illness-
es. The volunteers provide
support, friendship, listen-
ing and sharing, and assis-
tance with shopping and
writing letters. They
encourage the client's
interests and activities.
These grant dollars will
provide assistance for a
certification program and
technical support for con-
tinuity of services.
In addition for 2005,
GBCF has provided
$31,060 in flow-through
grants to The Partnership
Committee and Grand
Bend Area Health Services
Foundation, making a
total of $173,074 in
grants.
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