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Grant County Commission heard a presentation from Grant County Community Foundation Executive Director Sabrina Gaddis at its October. 15 meeting as a proclamation declaring Grant County Gives Week November 3-10. Gaddis said total match funds of $117,550 - $47,550 local match funds from 58 donors and $70,000 from the Patterson Family Foundation have been received.
“We ended up with a total of 34 nonprofit organizations that are participating in Grant County Gives this year,” Gaddis said. “They have to be a nonprofit organization and they have to have a fund established in the Foundation to put the funds into.”
The 34 participating organizations had from September 1 to November 10 to raise as much as they can.
“And then that match fund will be prorated and distributed according to what they raise,” Gaddis said. “Not quite a dollar-for-dollar but they’ll get a large chunk of that money back.”
Tate’s Barbecue will donate a portion of their proceeds towards the match fund on November 3; El Ranchito will do the same November 6, and the event will conclude with a fish fry at Bear Creek Coffee November 10. Bear Creek Coffee will play host to the November 22 Chamber Coffee where all of the money will be given back to the organizations.
Judy Kuesler spoke to the commissioners about the history of the Grant County Community Foundation and said it started as a fund in the Western Kansas Community Foundation.
“They invited us to start a fund dedicated to Grant County, that was in 2006,” Kuesler said. “Our first donation was $250. It was a humble beginning.”
The Grant County Community Foundation separated from the Western Kansas Community Foundation, “And brought our Foundation home,” Kuesler added. That allowed the money to benefit only Grant County.
“We’re happy to have the Foundation back home and our citizens have rewarded us for that decision because the Foundation’s grown exponentially,” Kuesler said. “It was a million and a half dollars when we moved up from Western Kansas and now we can reach out and touch $5,500,000. And all that money is dedicated to helping Grant County.”
The 2011 County Commission started two funds - one for the health department and the other for the ambulance service - and donated $5,000 for each of those funds. Commissioner John Martin said the ambulance fund has since grown to $113,000 and the health department to $156,000.
“So now you get back, those funds generate enough earnings that they give back, every year, more than your original donation,” Kuesler added. “We’re happy the county commissioners had that foresight.”
Donation box locations can be found at Grant County Bank; Bear Creek Coffee; Grant County Senior Center; Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Gift Shop; Grant County Community Foundation Office; Online at www.grantccf.org, or by mail at PO Box 65 in Ulysses.
The 34 charitable non-profit organizations who will benefit from Grant County Gives include:
American GI Forum Education, American Legion, Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, Career and Tech Education Scholarship, Compass Behavioral Health, Core Community Ulysses, Du Good Events, Inc., Friends of the Grant County Library, Furever Friends, GCCF Operating, Ginger’s Hope, Grant County Economic Development Corporation, Grant County Extension 4-H Fund, Grant County Health Department, Grant County Historical Society, Grant County Recreation Fund, Grant County Senior Center Fund, Grant County Scholarship Foundation, High Program, Inc., Impact Ulysses, Keep Life Jumping 4 Kay, LARC/DVS, Inc. (for Grant County Victims), Loaves and Fishes, Restored by Grace, Southwest Health Transport , Substance Abuse Treatment Fund, Ulysses Animal Shelter Fund, Ulysses Boy Scouts, Ulysses Cub Scouts #186, Ulysses Girl Scouts, Ulysses Lions Club, USD 214 Classroom Grants, USED 214 Teacher Recruitment, and Women of Purpose.
•The next commission meeting will take place at 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 6.
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