Community Fund for the Gore Mountain Region Awards 22 Grants

Wednesday, September 26, 2018
 
Minerva Sleeping Giants members


SCHROON LAKE — The Community Fund for the Gore Mountain Region, a component fund of Adirondack Foundation, has awarded $18,027 in grant funding to benefit a variety of local initiatives in Schroon, Minerva, Horicon, Chester, and Johnsburg.

This year’s grant recipients were honored at a ceremony at Seagle Music Colony on August 28.

“Our grants reflect the diverse needs of our communities,” said Mindy Preuninger, Chair of the Gore community fund’s advisory committee. “From alleviating hunger to providing cultural-enrichment opportunities, and more, the community fund is truly working to enhance the vitality of our towns.”

In Johnsburg, a $750 grant award will help  fourth grader Hudson Dunkley continue to fund his self-started “Snacks for Friends” program, which provides nutritious snacks for three classes at his school. According to Courtney Van Voorhis, who submitted the grant application through the Johnsburg Central School Parent Teacher Organization, “Hudson is very adamant that no student should have to go without a snack throughout the school day. We support this project because we feel Hudson is an outstanding young man who deserves recognition for his selfless act of putting others before himself.”

In Minerva, the Sleeping Giants Senior Citizens program received $900 in funding to help offset the cost of social and educational field trips that would otherwise be beyond the financial reach of many seniors. “The trips offer connections with others, which is vitally important to seniors’ emotional and physical well-being,” said Suzanne Crouse, treasurer.

In Chester and Horicon, a $900 grant is supporting youth summer programs. “Our summer program continues to grow. The youth in our community gain knowledge and life skills through sports, theater, robotics, and a love for the outdoors,” said Mindy Conway, director of the Chester-Horicon Youth Commission.

In Schroon, $1,000 is helping to launch a broadcasting club and an elective class at the central school. New video editing equipment will enable students to livestream events with feeds from multiple cameras and gain career-building skills in production and journalism. “There is a lot going on at Schroon Lake Central School. Our small town athletes and performers have relatives and friends all over the country and the world who enjoy tuning into our live events on Facebook. This grant will allow viewers to have a high-quality experience while also introducing students to new technology,” said Stephen Gratto, Superintendent.  

In addition to the grants highlighted above, these programs and organizations also received funding this year: Adirondack Marathon, Tri-Lakes Business Alliance - Carol Theatre , Horicon Free Public Library, Johnsburg Fine Arts, Johnsburg Youth Committee, Minerva Central School, Minerva Youth Commission, North Country Ministry, North Creek Railway Depot Preservation Association, Our Town Theatre Group, Schroon Lake Backpack Program, Seagle Music Colony, Ski Bowl Garden, Tannery Pond Community Center, Historical Society of the Town of Chester, Town of Horicon, Town of Horicon Historical Society, and the Town of Minerva.  

 “The power of local giving and community spirit are alive and well in the Gore Mountain Region. We thank the fund donors for their generosity, the committee for its dedicated oversight, offer congratulations to the grant recipients and applaud the great work happening in these Adirondack communities,” said Cali Brooks, President and CEO of Adirondack Foundation.

The Community Fund for the Gore Mountain Region, established at Adirondack Foundation in 2005 by a group of caring residents, supports programs to meet pressing needs and improve the quality of life in the towns of Chester, Horicon, Johnsburg, Minerva and Schroon.  It focuses on historic preservation, education, community beautification, culture and the arts, as well as programs for youth, senior citizens and veterans. The fund includes the following subset of named grants directed to causes that these donors are most passionate about: Woody Widlund, Ernest Johnson, Wanda Callihan, and McGee Whitney Family. To learn more, including how to contribute, contact Mindy Preuninger at 518-586-6557, [email protected], or follow the fund on Facebook.