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CFNO hands over record grant amount

Additional funds mark Canada’s 150th
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roger knox/morning star Among the organizations receiving a record $100,000 in Community Foundation of North Okanagan Smart and Caring Community grants were (from left): Chelsea Weist (Cherryville Food Bank); Cheryl Heidt (Enderby Preschool Society); Victor Wright (Hullcar Hall and Deep Creek Society); Veronica Ukrainetz (North Okanagan Neurological Association); Nick Macdonald (North Okanagan Cycling Society); Elaine Collison (The People Place); and Carla-Jean Stokes (O’Keefe Ranch).

For Janice Mori, Leanne Hammond and all members of the Community Foundation of North Okanagan (CFNO) board of directors, it’s their favourite time of season.

The time for giving away money. A record amount, this time around.

CFNO announced more than $100,000 in Smart and Caring Community Fund and Canada 150 grants at a special evening at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre last week.

“This is the time when we get to recognize the generous people in our community,” said Mori, foundation board president. “Those current and past donors who created legacies for your communities.”

Added Hammond: “The Smart and Caring Fund allows us to recognize and support the great work in our area with a financial gift to help organizations with their stability.”

CFNO funded a third of more than $300,000 in grant applications.

Recipients included:

* North Okanagan Cycling Society ($10,000 for bike skills park in cooperation with City of Vernon);

* Hullcar Hall and Deep Creek Sociey ($2,500 for bringing hall up to code);

* Kingfisher Community Hall Society ($3,300 for tennis court lighting and fencing);

* North Okanagan Neurological Association ($10,000 for its Build the Clubhouse campaign);

* North Okanagan Childcare Society ($15,000 for kitchen upgrade);

* O’Keefe Ranch and Interior Heritage Society ($10,000 for Greenhow Museum improvement project);

* Vernon Native Housing Society ($2,200 for community gardens at each housing site);

* Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Okanagan Centre ($1,050 for large interactive sundial);

* Enderby Preschool Society ($20,000 for daycare equipment);

* John Howard Society ($10,000 for transportation van);

* People Place ($2,000 for installing alarm/security system);

* Cherryville Community Food Bank ($13,950 for van co-purchase to transport fresh food - fruit, vegetables, dairy);

* Junction Literacy Society ($2,000 - donated by Re/Max - for Books for Babies).

CFNO directors Annette Sharkey, Chris Alveberg, Herb Wong and Tyson Amies handed out the cheques.

“We would like to increase our impact and be able to fund more applications in the future,” said Hammond. “The $100,000 is the most we’ve ever given away before for this particular grant cycle.

“The Smart and Caring fund is unique in that it changes every year. Different groups apply for different projects.”

CFNO also gives away money through designated grants, which go out in the fall and winter, for people who have started an endowment fund with the foundation that have chosen from the start where they want their money to go.

The foundation also gave away five Canada 150 grants totalling $30,000.

CFNO is a member of the Community Foundations of Canada, which put up $20,000 to be matched by the federal government for the North Okanagan area. It’s a project going on Canada-wide in honour of the country’s 150th birthday in 2017.

Awarded Canada 150 grants were:

* Royal Canadian Legion Armstrong Branch #35 ($5,000 for a historical play, presented earlier this year);

* Veterans Voices of Canada Association ($2,000 for archival DVDs of veterans’ stories to schools, museums, community groups and libraries);

* O’Keefe Ranch and Interior Heritage Society ($10,000 to commemorate 150th anniversary of the ranch);

* Allan Brooks Nature Society ($5,000 for project that will upgrade existing grassland theatre built in 2016);

* B.C. Drama Association Society ($8,000 for bringing Theatre B.C. Mainstage Festival to Vernon, the original site of the festival in 1953).

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roger knox/morning star Glen Taylor of the O’Keefe Ranch (left) and Adele Kuyek from B.C. Drama Association Society were among the five recipients of Canada 150 grants from the Community Founation of North Okanagan.


Roger Knox

About the Author: Roger Knox

I am a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. I started my career in radio and have spent the last 21 years working with Black Press Media.
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