PHOTOS: Foundation awards more than $22K in grants

Reno County organizations from Nickerson, Plevna and Pretty Prairie joined 10 others this year to receive a total of $22,616 at Hutchinson Community Foundation’s Make It Greater Grant Awards program as part of March 21 Third Thursday activities in downtown Hutchinson.

Make It Greater Grants are small funds open to Reno County residents and organizations who have ideas for bringing community members together on projects that spark community spirit and pride, build social capital, and create opportunities for positive changes that make the county a healthier, happier place to live.

This year’s 13 awards ranged from $1,000 to $2,500. The money for these grants came from the Fund for Hutchinson, the foundation’s unrestricted fund for the ever-changing needs of Reno County. The community foundation’s donor-advised fundholders partnered in making these grants possible through the Giving Together program, which informs donors of community needs and giving opportunities.

The following are this year’s recipients:

• Boy Scouts of America-Quivira Council: $1,850 to provide a wider range of sports and recreation options at Camp Kanza through the purchase of equipment that includes soccer goals, archery targets and bows, baseball bats, bases, and tetherball stations.
• Buhler Education Foundation: $2,500 to assist with the initial site-preparation expenses of Play Haven Memorial Park, which will honor Union Valley Elementary fifth-grader Haven Stambaugh who died in 2017 after a lifetime of illness.
• City of Hutchinson Parks and Facilities Department: $1,000 to help with the purchase of mobile seating to develop gathering areas and enhance placemaking at city parks and public spaces.
• City of Plevna: $1,816 to continue improvements at the town’s community center through the purchase of new carpet and flooring.
• Farmington Park Neighborhood: $2,500 to provide benches as part of the first phase of improvements to Farmington Park.
• Hutchinson Art Center: $1,650 to purchase audio equipment for recording a live art trivia game show titled “I Should be an Artist.”
• Hutchinson Community College: $1,000 to help fund the 2019 HutchCC Corn Husking Festival aimed at uniting residents, students, faculty and staff to celebrate agriculture and raise awareness of the college’s agriculture program.
• Nickerson Recreation: $2,500 to fund the “MAKING OUR MARK” project, named in honor of community member Mark Richardson who died in December 2018. The project will offer six classes for young teens and three summer evening Second Thursday gatherings for people of all ages to celebrate the community.
• Ninnescah Valley Prescribed Burn Association: $1,750 to help provide wildland firefighting equipment to volunteer firefighters.
• SculptureArtWalk: $2,500 to purchase supplies for SculptureArtWalk’s “Paint the Town Beautiful” collaborative downtown mural project.
• Strataca: $1,000 to assist with the first phase of adding a rock and mineral exhibit, gifted from the former Kansas Children’s Museum’s collection, to Strataca’s lobby.
• SW Bricktown Neighborhood: $1,250 to help fund the second phase of improvements to SW Bricktown Park through the purchase of a grill, bike rack and organization of a National Night Out block party.
• Ubuntu Inc.: $1,300 to assist in installing a public labyrinth on city-donated property for walkers and those seeking to exercise and gather.

Click on the image to enlarge.

WANT TO BECOME A PARTNER?

All gifts matter. Whether you have a little or a lot to give, the Fund for Hutchinson — the community’s endowment — offers those with the desire a chance to participate in projects with potentially big — and maybe even historic — impacts on Reno County. To become a partner in funding projects like the ones supported by Make It Greater grants, click here or call 620-663-5293.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

To learn more about Make It Greater grants and other grant opportunities, click here.