Sioux Falls, SD September 11, 2012 – The Midcontinent Foundation has announced that they have awarded 46 local non-profit organizations with grants totaling $70,500
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The Foundation is the charitable-giving arm of Midcontinent Media, Inc., parent company of Midcontinent Communications. The Board of Directors met for their semi-annual meeting in August to review grant applications from a three-state area. (List follows.)
“In the last 25 years, the Foundation has awarded a total of nearly $3 million to organizations in our region,” said Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Foundation President Tom Simmons. “We have worked diligently to encourage these organizations to apply for grants. Our goal is to contribute to the betterment of all of our communities throughout the Midcontinent footprint -- to help improve services, support important community initiatives, and fund new and existing programs to sustain a healthy quality of life for all residents.”
In addition, earlier this month, Midcontinent Media raised an additional $16,000 for Feeding South Dakota at its annual MMI Golf Challenge, September 5, at Spring Creek Country Club in Harrisburg, SD.
“Our employees have selected Feeding South Dakota as a target charity for 2012-2013,” Simmons said. “Several team members have spent a great deal of time volunteering for the agency, assembling food-packs for students in need. We believe wholeheartedly in the mission of this agency and we are proud of our employees’ efforts to contribute their time and talents as well as monetarily.”
The MMI Challenge, originally designed to be an end-of-season appreciation event for Midcontinent employees, customers, vendors and sponsors, turned into a charity event nine years ago when proceeds eclipsed expenses, Simmons said. “Midcontinent COO Dick Busch made the decision that any proceeds over expenses should be used to assist a local charity and the event has consistently raised money for a selected non-profit organization in Midcontinent’s service area,” Simmons said.
Because the number of MMI Challenge sponsors has grown steadily each year, the amount available for charitable purposes as grown as well, said Simmons. Over the last nine years, a total of $94,000 has been donated to ten local organizations.
The Foundation Board will meet again in February of 2013 to review the next round of applications. Charitable organizations with special or capital projects are encouraged to apply for a Foundation grant HERE.
September 2012 Midcontinent Foundation Grants
Minnesota
Becker: Becker High School Robotics Team 1,000
Bemidji: United Way of Bemidji Area 2,000
Breckenridge: Breckenridge Volunteer Fire Dept. 1,000
Cambridge: City of Cambridge Fire Dept. 1,500
Cambridge: Cambridge Isanti Competitive Baseball 1,000
Canby: United Way of NE Minnesota 1,500
International Falls: Citizens for Backus 1,000
Moorhead: Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity 1,000
St. Joseph: St. Joseph Fire Dept. 1,000
North Dakota
Beulah: Beulah Park District 1,000
Bismarck: Bismarck Arts & Galleries Assn. 1,000
Burlington: Burlington Recreation Commission 2,500
Devils Lake: Devils Lake Kids Preschool & Child Care 1,000
Drayton: Ox Cart Trails Historical Society 1,000
Grand Forks: Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 2 2,000
Grand Forks: Empire Arts Center 1,000
Grand Forks: Young Men’s Christian Assn. 1,000
Hazen: Hazen Parks & Recreation 1,500
Leonard: City of Leonard Park Board 1,500
Mapleton: Mapleton Fire Dept. 1,500
Thompson: Thompson Cemetery Assn. 1,000
Underwood: City of Underwood 1,000
Underwood: Comet Kids Daycare 1,300
West Fargo: West Fargo Public Library 3,000
South Dakota
Aberdeen: Aberdeen Family Y 1,000
Aberdeen: Boys & Girls Club 1,500
Box Elder: City of Box Elder 1,000
Huron: Huron Hockey Assn. 2,000
Mobridge: Klein Museum 1,000
Pierre: Capital Area Soccer Assn. 1,000
Pierre: OAHE, Inc. 1,500
Rapid City: American Legion Post 320 Baseball 1,000
Rapid City: Working Against Violence 2,000
Rapid City: Yellow Bike Program 1,000
Sioux Falls: Boys & Girls Club of Sioux Empire 1,500
Sioux Falls: Children’s Care Hospital & School 2,500
Sioux Falls: Family Visitation Center 1,200
Sioux Falls: Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum 3,000
Sioux Falls: Siouxland RSVP 2,000
Sioux Falls: Volunteers of America – Dakota Cairn Campus 5,000
Spearfish: Spearfish Nutrition Program 1,000
Watertown: Boys & Girls Club of Watertown 1,000
Watertown: PACH (People Against Child Hunger) 1,000
Watertown: Watertown Christian School 1,000
Watertown: Watertown Youth Soccer 1,000
