The Rotary Club of Jefferson has awarded $28,688 in community grants from the proceeds of its 2017 charity dinner and auction, held last November at the Greene Room at Wild Rose Casino. All told, $42,429 was disbursed to projects in Greene County and around the world.
The club received 25 grant requests totaling more than $108,000. “All the projects we received grant applications for are outstanding projects,” said Rotary past president and 2017 auction chair Adam Pedersen. “There are many groups doing a lot of great things in the county. Being part of those projects is why we’ve held 19 auctions and are already planning the 2019 event.”
Grants ranged from $4,623 to $260. Recipients of grants are:
• Jefferson Community Golf Course – acoustic panels and signage in the meeting room, $4,623
• City of Jefferson – animal facility and dog park, $3,000
• Jefferson Public Library – children’s Innovation Station, $3,000
• Greene County Elementary School art department – clay kiln, $2,397
• Webb House – kitchen renovation, table for gaming system, $2,170
• Jefferson Matters: Main Street – mini grants for building improvements, $2,000
• Greene County Elementary School – water bottle filling station, $1,800
• Grand Junction Public Library – technology, $1,500
• Greene County HS after prom party – inflatable entertainment, $1,238
• Rippey Public Library – Create, Connect & Communicate, $1,200
• American Legion Post 417 of Paton – cemetery flag replacement, $1,000
• City of Scranton – Scranton school Memorial Park shelter, $1,000
• Greene County Youth Athletic Association – scholarships for programs, $1,000
• Heart of Iowa Habitat for Humanity – 2018 Helping Hands, $1,000
• New Opportunities – back-to-school supply drive, $1,000
• Jefferson park and recreation department, play equipment for Tot Time, $500
• Boy Scout Troop 534, shelf retainment system for trailer, $260
The grant committee also allocated $4,000 for college scholarships to graduating seniors and $4,741 as a match to a grant received from Rotary District 6000 for upgrades to the meeting room at the Jefferson Community Golf Course.
The grant committee allocated $500 each for three Rotary District 6000 projects – Iowa MOST (cleft palate repair in Central America); the annual district-wide service trip to Xicotipec, Mexico; and treatment of congenital club feet in Central America. The committee allocated $3,150 to the Rotary International Foundation for its projects, including the effort to eradicate polio.
