Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation, the local nonprofit corporation that holds the state gaming license in Greene County, distributed almost $1.5 million in grants at its 8th annual Awards Night, held April 4 in the Greene Room at Wild Rose Casino in Jefferson.
Grow Greene County board members call it “the highlight of their year” to hand out awards to the neighboring counties’ community foundation, Greene County municipalities, Greene County Community foundation, both school districts in the county, legacy awards (large grants distributed over a period of years), and the year’s competitive grants.
Under agreement with Wild Rose Entertainment Inc, Grow Greene receives 5 percent of the local casino’s adjusted gross gaming revenues to distribute to nonprofits, governmental, and charitable organizations. Of the total, 4.1 percent went to projects in Greene County and 0.9 percent was shared equally by the community foundations in the six counties contiguous to Greene County – Boone, Calhoun, Carroll, Dallas, Guthrie and Webster. The funds awarded Tuesday night were from gaming revenues for calendar year 2022.
Competitive grants are awarded after careful consideration of written applications received by Grow Greene County. Grant applications totaled about $2 million. Grow Greene County was able to fund $546,755 in competitive grants as follows:
— Jefferson Matters: A Main Street & Chamber Community, $100,000, Imagination Alley
— Greene County Medical Center Foundation, $81,500, new C-arm for imaging Department and pain clinic
— City of Churdan, $65,691, Renovation and doors at Community Room
— Greene County ISU Extension & Outreach, $60,000, paving and outdoor classroom at Extension office
— Bell Tower Festival, $45,515, Brew Station bar, storage unit, new downtown lighting
— Scranton Alumni Association/ Community Center, $45,515, generator and electrical updates to provide shelter during extended power outages
— Rippey Lions Club, $40,000, outdoor basketball court in Rippey
— The Children’s Center, $37,918, update to generator from former location to make it usable at new location
— Jefferson parks & recreation department, $35,776, new slide at Jefferson swimming pool
— City of Dana, $35,000, city truck and plow
The Greene County Community Foundation received $150,000 for its 2023 grantmaking. Those grants were awarded March 26.
Legacy grants were awarded as follows:
— Greene County Animal Shelter, $67,000, the second of three years for a total of $201,000
— Greene County Early Learning Center/ The Children’s Center, $125,000, the third of four years for a total of $500,000
— Greene County Conservation, $36,000 for signage, the second of two years for a total of $72,000
— Greene County Youth Athletic Association, $100,000 for field updates, the second of two years for a total of $200,000
Greene County Development Corporation received $61,696 for its Special Projects fund. Jefferson Matters: A Main Street & Chamber Community received $40,000 for its New & Existing Business fund.
Greene County Community Schools previously was awarded $4.5 million for the athletic and performing arts facilities at the new high school. This year the district was awarded $165,000. Paton-Churdan Community Schools received $30,000.
Funds are distributed to county municipalities on a per capita basis, with funding to the city of Jefferson set at $50,000. Other county towns received funds as follows: Grand Junction, $43,570; Scranton, $30,709; Churdan, $21,935; Paton, $13,281; Rippey, $13,221; and Dana, $2,284.
The community foundations in the contiguous counties each received $52,000.
The funding awarded in 2023 brings the total distributed by Grow Greene County to more than $10 million since Wild Rose Casino opened eight years ago.
The Grow Greene County board of directors includes president Norm Fandel, vice president Craig Marquardt, secretary Peg Raney, treasurer Bob Allen, and board members Lori Mannel, Brenda Muir, Kate Neese and Rick Morain. All have been on the board since its inception. Ex officio members added in 2019 are Dawn Rudolph of the Greene County board of supervisors and Matt Wetrich of the Jefferson city council. Board attorney is Mike Mumma.
