Staff
A total of $37,500 in funding from the Moffat Family Fund was given out to nine community groups at yesterday evening’s Town of Fort Frances council meeting.
“It gives the Town of Fort Frances great pleasure to hand out these cheques this evening, on behalf of the Winnipeg Foundation’s Moffat Family Fund committee,” said Mayor Roy Avis, as he shook hands with representatives from each of the groups and disbursed the annual funding which aims to benefit local children, families, and the less advantaged.
Recipients of this year’s funds include:
•The Fort France Highlanders Pipes and Drums ($1,500), to teach and equip young interested people in order for them to be able to perform with their group;
•The Salvation Army ($8,500) to support families in need with new bedding, blankets and mattresses;
•908 Rainy Lake Air Cadet Squadron ($3,000) to help sustain the groups’ operations, and continue the additional bi-weekly nutrition and physical fitness program;
•Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen ($3,000), to help transport clients to and from the kitchen and for food;
•Friends of Little League ($2,700) to subsidize the costs to operate the program in Fort Frances;
•Family and Children’s Services of the Rainy River District ($4,000) to offer families and children the opportunity to participate in recreational summer programming to help build and enhance their socialization, physical fitness and life skills;
•United Native Friendship Centre ($4,000) to be put towards purchasing car seats so that clientele can have access to safe means of transportation;
•United Native Friendship Centre ($5,000) towards the local community garden to foster the development of new skills, a positive family activity and healthy eating behaviours;
•Kiwanis Sunny Cove Camp (Town of Fort Frances) ($5,800) to purchase new equipment for the camp which will enable the town and users of the camp the ability to expand its programs and enhance its ability to develop our children.
This year saw a total of 19 applicants for the funds, requesting $112,993 altogether.
With $37,500 in funding allocated to the town, a selection committee—consisting of Couns. John Albanese, Andrew Hallikas, and Paul Ryan, along with Marie Howells, Angel Sandoval, Linda Hamilton, and Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig—pared down this number to the selected nine.
