The Dallas County Foundation (DCF) hosted its annual grant awards banquet Tuesday night in the newly built Country Lane Lodge in Adel, with upwards of 100 people celebrating the countywide spirit of community benevolence fostered by the annual DCF grants.
DCF President Vicki Lage of Perry welcomed to assembled group and noted the DCF, in conjunction with the Grow Greene County Gaming Corp. (GGCGC), was awarding $135,803 in community-betterment grants to 27 Dallas County groups.
The funding level is about $7,544 lower than the 2017 awards total, when 29 organizations received grants.
The GGCGC portion of this year’s awards amounted to $41,803, marking the third year for the Greene County supplemental dollars, which derive from revenues at the Wild Rose Casino in Jefferson.
The non-profit DCF, formed in 2005 to distribute Dallas County’s share of state gambling taxes, funds a variety of charitable, civic and cultural organizations across Dallas County. Since its first granting cycle in 2006, the DCF has awarded more than $1.1 million to about 225 projects in Dallas County.
DCF Director of Development Scott Cirksena thanked the attendees for their contributions to the quality of life in Dallas County and noted the generosity of donors to the DCF Founder’s Club Campaign.
Some 57 applications were received and reviewed during the spring 2018 cycle, representing grant requests of more than $500,000. DCF Vice President Lynn Ubben and board member Dean Scott presented the 2018 Dallas County Foundation/Grow Greene County Grant Gaming Corp. grant awards to 27 groups:
- ADM Fine Arts Boosters – $2,853, 18 musical instruments
- ADM High School – $3,000, desks
- ADM High School – $1,470, 20 graphing calculators
- Adel Historical Museum – $2,000, memorabilia display shelving
- Adel Historical Preservation Committee – $1,500, historic plaques
- Adel Rotary Club – $1,770, bike racks
- Dallas Center Rotary Club – $2,803, Raccoon River Valley Trail covered bench
- Dallas County Habitat for Humanity – $5,000, roofing
- Dallas County Homecare Services – $7,500, ADA-compliant bus
- Dallas County Fair – $5,000, campground septic system
- Dallas County IRIS – $1,100, IRIS Signal
- Dallas County Relay for Life – $3,000, tables and chairs
- DeSoto AHeinz 57 – $4,750, surgical tools
- Linden, City of – $10,000, Linden Fire Department brush truck
- Minburn Fire and Rescue – $4,000, six dual-band pagers
- Perry – Art on the Prairie – $8,000, public art sculpture
- Perry – City of Perry – $5,000, Raccoon River Valley Trail art initiative
- Perry Hometown Heritage – $2,700, display wall
- Perry New Hope Bargain Shoppe – $944, signage
- Redfield WCV Middle School – $20,000, sports field
- Redfield Development Committee – $2,000, story walk
- Redfield WCV Recreation Club – $13,690, building repair
- Van Meter, City of – $10,000, trail along the Raccoon River
- Waukee Area Christian Services – $792, chiropractic table
- Waukee Area Christian Services – $3,000, delivery truck shelving
- Waukee Public Library – $3,400, music aides
- Woodward Public Library – $10,531, library update
The next grant cycle will be announced in December 2018.
The DCF is an affiliate of the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation, and the foundation’s affiliate relations coordinator, Rebecca Murphy, was among the attendees Tuesday. Other DCF officers and board members present included Treasurer Butch Niebuhr and Secretary Teresa Wichtendahl and directors Chris Brocka, Berta Burkhart, Tim Canney, Cathy Erickson, Carol Hill, Jan Danielson Kaiser, Michelle Messer, Tiawny Meyers, Doug Pullin and Katie Spellman.
The GGCGC Board of Directors includes Kate Neese, Peg Raney, Brenda Muir, Rick Morain, Lori Mannel, Norm Fandel, Bob Allen and Craig Marquardt.
DCF
