$62,000 in awards granted

NEW PROVIDENCE -- April 8, 2008 -- Nearly 100 people filled the New Providence Roundhouse Tuesday for an evening of philanthropy and community as the Hardin County Community Endowment Foundation (HCCEF) hosted its third annual Community Grant Awards Night. The Roundhouse was chosen for this year's ceremony as a way of demonstrating the kinds of projects HCCEF provides grant funding for every year.

Last year, Renewal Community, Inc., received a $3,700 grant to help pay for improvements to the Round House's sound system. Speaking on behalf of Renewal Community, Inc., Tuesday, Kay Clampitt said the grant helped make the Round House an even better venue for the events that are held there every year.

Tammy Hoffmeister, representing Cougar's Den Childcare and Pre-school in Ackley, also spoke about the difference an HCCEF grant made for her organization last year. Hoffmeister said the $2,500 grant helped pay for new playground equipment at the childcare and preschool center, and the students are looking forward to using it this spring. Tuesday's awards night featured a keynote address by Ashley Canney, the director of affiliates for the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation, of which HCCEF is affiliated. Canney outlined the 10 reasons people give to foundations like HCCEF.

Foundations like HCCEF receive one-half of 1 percent of the state's total gaming revenue. That funding, in addition to public investments make it possible for the foundation to award grants annually and maintain an endowment.

Gilbert said that while 43 grant requests, totaling $128,424.46 were received by the Foundation board, a total of 24 grants were awarded Tuesday night.

"More grant requests were made than we could fund and there were many great projects that we were not able to support," Gilbert said. "Much more must be done to help meet those needs."

2008 awards include:

Ackley Heritage Center
Amount: $1,800
Project: The Heritage Center will use the grant funds to refurbish an old horse-drawn buggy. The reconditioned buggy will be used in annual celebrations, parades and on other special occasions.

Iowa Falls Community Theatre, Inc.
Amount: $1,200
Project: Iowa Falls Community Theatre, Inc., will use the grant money to purchase a laptop computer, software, an LCD projector and a projection screen to augment its facilities at the Center for the Performing Arts.

Hardin County Community Endowment Foundation
Amount: $3,885.46
Project: The Hardin County Community Endowment Foundation will use the funds to expand the efforts of the group in building philanthropy awareness among Hardin County residents.

Hardin County Development Alliance
Amount: $4,500
Project: The Hardin County Development Alliance is an association consisting of the Hardin County Board of Supervisors, the City of Eldora Economic Development, City of Ackley Economic Development and Iowa Falls Area Development Corporation. The funds will help develop a plan that will guide county-wide development efforts in the areas of land use, economic development, transportation and housing.

Iowa Falls Chamber/Main Street and Leadership Iowa Falls Experience
Amount: $750
Project: The Leadership Iowa Falls Experience is a leadership class that develops opportunities for collaborative interaction among leaders in the Iowa Falls community. The grant money will be used to purchase a speaker system for use during tours. The money will also be used for scholarships for the membership fee.

The Iowa Falls Falls Group
Amount: $3,000
Project: The Falls Group is planning for installation of a 30-foot waterfall to be built on the west limestone banks of the Iowa River near the swinging bridge. The funds will be used to help purchase the necessary equipment to construct the falls.

The Presbyterian Village
Amount: $1,800
Project: The Presbyterian Village, which serves the elderly in the Ackley area, contains a community/chapel room which is a place for people to gather for conferences, family get-togethers and meetings. The grant will help fund new flooring in the room.

Steamboat Rock Pride and Betterment Committee
Amount: $2,000
Project; The Steamboat Rock Pride and Betterment Committee will use the grant money to maintain the old school building in Steamboat Rock, which serves as a community center. The money will pay to replace broken windows in the entryway to the gymnasium, as well as replace the original gym entry doors.

Union Cemetery Association - Ladies Social Gathering
Amount: $900
Project: Union Cemetery, which was founded by a group of Iowa Falls women in 1859, continues to be managed and maintained by the original group, the Ladies Social Gathering. The grant money will be used to remodel the superintendentÕs office and the public bathroom in the Gardener's Cottage.

Hardin County Farm Museum Corporation
Amount: $3,000
Project: The grant money will be used to build a new structure to shelter a sawmill display and logging equipment at the Farm Museum.

Hardin County Historical Society
Amount: $3,000
Project: The grant money will be used by the Hardin County Historical Society to paint the Wisner/Albrook Victorian Era house and carriage house in Eldora.

Robert W. Barlow Memorial Library
Amount: $1,530
Project: The Robert W. Barlow Memorial Library will use the grant money in a partnership with the Iowa Falls and Alden school districts to provide books for instruction, classroom projects, reports and curriculum enrichment. The project will address the need for materials in the classroom. The materials will also be available to the general public and home-schooled students.

Union Public Library
Amount: $3,000
Project: The Union Library will use the grant money to purchase the Follett Destiny Library Manager, an automated software program that will allow the library staff to better manage its collection. The library also plans to purchase two computers and a server.

Ackley Police Department
Amount: $511.23
Project: The Ackley Police Department will use its grant money to purchase a new computer  and imager/scanner system, which will allow the department to be able to scan photographs of stolen items, suspects or missing person photos, and send those to other law enforcement agencies.

Ellsworth Municipal Hospital
Amount: $5,000
Project: Ellsworth Municipal Hospital provides primary, secondary and emergency care. EMH will use the grant to fund the purchase of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) for each of the outpatient clinics, as well as for continuing training in the use of AEDs and CPR.

Hubbard Medical Center
Amount: $1,655
Project: The Hubbard Medical Center will use grant funds to match money raised by the community to purchase an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

White's Iowa Institute -- Quakerdale
Amount: $3,000
Project: Quakerdale, which was founded in 1851, strengthens youth identified as at-risk, delinquent or as a child in need of assistance. The grant funds will be used for the upkeep of the roofs of the cottages at Quakerdale's New Providence location.

City of Alden - River Access Portage Project
Amount: $3,500
Project: The City of Alden is working to develop two acres of land along the Iowa River that will provide a portage area so kayakers and canoeists can safely make it around the dam. Plans also include areas for parking and picnics, informational kiosks, Iowa River Greenbelt trail signs and an upstream warning sign for the dam.

City of Eldora - Greater Eldora Youth Sports Program
Amount: $978
Project: The Greater Eldora Youth Sports Program offers organized sporting events for grades kindergarten through sixth. The grant money will be used to purchase a batting cage for the City Ball Park Field.

City of Iowa Falls - Parks and Recreation Department
Amount: $4,000
Project: The Meyer Municipal Aquatic Center serves the community of Iowa Falls. The grant funds will be used to purchase floatables for the Center.

Hardin County Recreational Trails Committee
Amount: $5,000
Project: As the Hardin County Recreational Trails Committee prepares to begin construction on the Rock Run Creek Trail in Iowa Falls, the grant funds awarded will be used to pay for the installation of 10 streetlamps along the trail.

Scenic City Empress Boat Club
Amount: $2,000
Coordinator: Jim Hoffman
Project: The Scenic City Empress Boat Club in Iowa Falls will use its grant money on a riverfront renovation series of projects at the site of the boat club in Iowa Falls. The renovations have included an expanded dock and river walk, lighting, concrete drive and sidewalks and landscaping.

South Hardin Recreation Area
Amount: $3,000
Project: The South Hardin Recreation Area includes a nine-hole golf course, pool and clubhouse and serves the citizens of Union, Whitten, New Providence, Liscomb and Clemons. The grant money will be used to help purchase golf carts.

Hubbard-Radcliffe Children's Center
Amount: $3,000
Project: The Hubbard-Radcliffe Children's Center is planning for the opening of a daycare and preschool. The grant money will help pay for a playground at the preschool.

Recipients of Arts and Culture grants include: Tim Mott (Iowa Falls Community Theatre, inc.), Vergilee Mott (Iowa Falls Community Theatre, inc.), Carol Gilbert (Hardin County Community Endowment Foundation), Duane Sudtelgte (Ackley Heritage Center) and Hollis Ryken (Ackley Heritage Center).

Recipients of Youth Development grants include: Bob Westendorf (Hubbard-Radcliffe Children's Center), Ashley Canney (Greater Des Moines Community Foundation) and Dena Zoske (Hubbard-Radcliffe Children's Center).