ELORA – Grand River Agricultural Society (GRAS) recently awarded a number of philanthropic funding and community mini grants.
Philanthropic presentations totalled just under $99,000:
– Groves Memorial Community Hospital Foundation – $84,000 for the healing gardens;
– Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Assoc. – $1,000 towards the summer meeting;
– Equine Erin/Horse Day Erin event – $2,500 for Horse Day Erin;
– Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Assoc. – $2,500 for the drainage innovation- live demo on Bayfield River;
– Erin Agricultural Society – $2,000 for the Equine Tent activities at the fall fair; and,
– Iris Meck Communication Inc. – $6,780 sponsorship of four female agriculture students at the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference.
The Grand River Agricultural Society also \announced the recipients of this year’s Community Mini Grant program supporting projects related to agriculture and the environment.
Fourteen grants totaling just over $13,000 were awarded in amounts ranging from $500 to $1,000.
These grants were awarded on June 10 at Grand River Raceway.
Mini grant recipients and projects include:
– Food Cycle Ride: assisting with event costs to raise money for the Centre Wellington Food Bank;
– Wellington County Soil and Crop Improvement Assoc.: viewing of “Before the Plate” at Conestoga Lake;
– Youth Outdoors Day: to help with costs associated with Youth Outdoors Day;
– Sunrise Therapeutic Riding and Learning Centre: Sunrise Therapy Forest and Pollinator Project;
– Habitat for Humanity Wellington Dufferin Guelph: Fergus Re-Store volunteer appreciation initiatives;
– Fergus Medieval Faire: entertainment at the Fergus Medieval Faire;
– Elora Cataract Trailway Assoc. – 2019 trailhead improvements project;
– St. Mary’s Catholic School: Wooden Bridge in the school yard project;
– Elora Rocks Lawn Bowling Club: rubber mulch and weed block fabric for the clubhouse area;
– Breakfast on the Farm, Fergus Agricultural Society – Breakfast on the Farm and the barnyard playground area;
– Fergus and District Horticultural Society: purchase of perennial plants, shrubs, and rain barrel at Craighead;
– Elora Farmers’ Market: Purchase of canopy, banner, and signs for the market;
– Aberfoyle Agricultural Society: agriculture awareness tent at fall fair; and,
– Stratford Northwestern Secondary School: equipment for “Field of Greens” school garden.
Operating the Grand River Raceway, GRAS is a not-for-profit corporation with a mandate is to encourage awareness of agriculture and to promote improvements in the quality of life of persons living in an agricultural community.
