Welcome to Kenmare

Feature Stories (Vol. 109 No. 28--7/18/2007)

Grant Committee is active and having some early success

By Caroline Downs

The Kenmare Grant Committee wants to find money for you.

Members of the committee met July 10th and discussed ways to work with representatives from the non-profit clubs, organizations, agencies and institutions in town to select projects and compile materials necessary to apply for free or matching grant funds.

Volunteers on the Grant Committee dedicate time to searching for grants that could apply to projects in Kenmare, and they will assist in writing and submitting those grants in order to benefit the community.

The committee had two successful endeavors to report, including a grant received in the amount of $10,000 from Oil Impact Money for use by the Kenmare Fire Department for pass detectors, face deflectors, helmets and other equipment. The Fire Department also received $500 from the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans "Care & Share" program for expenses associated with site preparation for the new fire hall.

Committee member Linda Freeman was enthusiastic about a grant she discovered related to music equipment in public schools. She had already contacted KHS music instructor Ken Starr with the information, and the two have discussed an application on behalf of the school.

Grants for the Kenmare City Pool are under consideration, with information currently being collected about the number of hours spent teaching lessons and holding classes or sessions for therapeutic purposes.

The committee is also interested in establishing a foundation or endowment for the community, which could be used to fund or assist a variety of local projects.

The group continues research and preparation for grants to benefit the city of Kenmare, including the upcoming water project, a proposed walking and recreational trail, and a new landfill.

Committee members started a list of other entities in Kenmare that may want to coordinate a project with the Kenmare Grant Committee, including Lakeview Art Club, Kenmare Senior Citizens, Kenmare Fire and Ambulance departments, Kenmare Food Pantry, Pioneer Village, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the Kenmare school district, local churches and the Kenmare Branch of Ward County Public Library.

A tentative date for a public meeting with representatives from these and other groups has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 9, 2007, at the city council chambers beginning at 7 pm.

The Grant Committee will meet again Wednesday, August 8th, at 7 pm. NDSU Extension Agent Lori Scharmer has been invited to talk to the group about the grant writing process.

All interested persons are welcome to attend any meetings of the Grant Committee. For more information about the Kenmare Grant Committee, contact chairman Mavis Meyer at 385-4615.