"You are what it takes to make community," Winkler Community Foundation Board Member and Winkler Mayor Martin Harder said as the foundation presented over $90,000 in grants to local projects and organizations.
"Because you invest your time and energy... into the benefit of our community," he says. "Thank you for all you do."
Harder also thanked WCF Executive Director Myra Peters for leading the organization for the past eight years, "you've done an awesome job."
Peters explains she's seen the foundation double it's granting power, twice.
In the past 20 years more than $1 million has been granted back into the community. The first grants approved in 1986 totalled $5,500. On Thursday WCF granted $90,644.
"It's exciting to see the amount we're giving back continually growing," Peters says. "And we know it's helping the charities in our community do the work they do."
The foundation saw an increase in donations last year during the 24 hour giving challenge. The event returns November 19 when Endow Manitoba adds one dollar to every $5 raised.
Every donation helps grow the community foundation's endowment funds. The gifts are invested and the interested earned annually is granted back into the community.
The 2016 grants include:
Smart & Caring Community Fund Grants
ORGANIZATIONS PROJECT AMOUNT
Border Valley School PAC Play Structure $ 4,750
Hochfeld School PAC Play Structure $ 4,750
Pembina Valley Humane Society Kennel upgrade $ 5,000
SERC Collapsible cots $ 3,000
South Central Cancer Resource Wigs $ 1,000
Southwood School PAC Play Structure $ 4,750
The Bunker Sound system $ 7,000
Winkler Bible Camp Dining hall sound system $ 2,760
Winkler Family Resource Centre New Coffee & Chat program $ 2,000
Winkler Festival of the Arts Music Scholarships $ 500
Winkler Heritage Museum Storage supplies $ 1,000
Winkler Minor Ball Softball batting machine $ 5,130
Winkler Senior Centre Accessibility lift for stage $10,000
TOTAL SMART & CARING COMMUNITY GRANTS $51,640
Designated and Donor Advised Grants
FUNDS RECIPIENT/PROJECT AMOUNT
2016 Manitoba Winter Games Winkler Junior Curling Club $ 4,268
Sports Legacy Fund
Dr. CW Wiebe Medical Fund Dr CW Wiebe Medical Centre $ 5,000
Prenatal instruments & medical devices
Gateway Resources Fund Gateway - programming space $15,869
Renovations
Katie Cares Fund Katie Cares Foundation $ 2,148
Kalansky Family Fund Winkler Fire Department $ 240
Training and equipment
TOTAL DESIGNATED & DONOR ADVISED GRANTS $27,525
OTHER GRANTS – distributed separately
Canada 150 Fund – partnership with Community Foundations of Canada $ 7,500
Citizen of the Year Choice Grant $ 1,000
Youth in Philanthropy $ 2,979
TOTAL OTHER GRANTS $11,479