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Foundation says: 'Play ball!' Ball league grants total nearly $1.6 million The Corydon Democrat Wednesday, March 10, 2004 |
Three Harrison County organizations providing youth baseball, softball and soccer programs were the big winners from the spring round of grants announced today by the Harrison County Community Foundation. Almost $1.6 million has been designated to expand or build youth athletic facilities around the county.
Leading off, the North Harrison Cal Ripken League was awarded $98,000 to complete the final phase of improvements that have been going on for seven years. Three fields will have a new press box and storage units, and the Rookie Field will receive new lights and electronic scoreboard. The league serves 300 boys and girls from the North Harrison Community School Corp. district.
Next up, the Friends of Harrison County Youth will see their fields of dreams become reality as a result of a $677,827 grant. For the past few years, the group had searched for a suitable site to move their league play from the over-populated and flood-prone Rice Island site in Little Indian Creek in Corydon. Adjoining the newly constructed YMCA in Corydon, the league will build seven modern, tournament-standard playing fields to serve about 600 players in the Corydon district.
Next, the recently merged South Harrison Athletic Association knocked the ball out of the park in the bottom of the ninth with an $821,579 grant to build baseball and soccer fields on property in the South Harrison Park near Elizabeth.
The Harrison County Park Dept. board, the Harrison County Commissioners and Council each approved the project and assured the league that it can use the site. The group anticipates 300 youth in the South Central District will participate in the organized events.
"The Foundation continues our commitment to serving the youth of the county in a positive manner," said grants committee chair Carl Uesseler. "They are the future, and if we can make an impact now, the county will benefit in the future."
The Foundation awarded an additional $446,241 to other projects and agencies supporting Harrison County, bringing the total spring grants to more than $2 million. The other recipients are:
- American Red Cross Buffalo Trace Service Center: $25,000 to provide matching grant for the Hero campaign;
- Bellarmine University: $12,000 for Harrison County resident retention scholarships;
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana: $3,500 for expansion at Corydon Intermediate School;
- Blue River Services: $40,000 for construction of affordable apartments;
- Blue River Services: $65,500 to purchase alternative day program vans;
- Brandon's House Counseling Center: $8,100 to expand counseling services to Harrison County teens;
- Community Unity: $5,700 to purchase tents and entertainment for its annual World on the Square festival;
- Friends of the Corydon Capitol: $4,300 to purchase banners and electrical distribution poles;
- Furthering Youth Inc.: $2,450 to purchase an automated membership management system;
- Harrison County Community Services: $65,000 to provide safety net services for Harrison County residents;
- Harrison County Swim Team: $8,294 to purchase and install new starting blocks;
- Hoosier Hills PACT: $15,000 to support services for victims of crime in Harrison County;
- Kentucky Museum of Arts + Design: $9,000 to provide in-depth arts education residencies in Harrison County;
- Legal Services Organization of Indiana: $3,000 for litigation expenses for Harrison County pro bono (indigent) clients;
- Leora Brown School: $2,500 for tables and a table caddie;
- Morgan Elementary School: $5,422 to buy math scanners and printers;
- North Harrison schools: $3,000 for summer school field trips;
- North Harrison schools: $4,000 for Automated External Defibrillators;
- North Harrison schools: $12,000 to air-condition special education school buses;
- North Harrison Elementary School: $25,369 for a kindergarten play area;
- South Central Elementary School: $5,996 to purchase equipment for a school-wide news program;
- South Central Junior-Senior High School: $20,010 to purchase books;
- South Harrison Community Development Corp.: $3,000 to fund a strategic operational plan;
- South Harrison Community School Corp.: $13,000 for script and performance of a play called "Capitol Avenue";
- Southern Indiana RAPE Treatment Center: $30,000 for SANE/medical coverage for victims and team training;
- The Center for Women and Families: $37,500 for outreach support for residents of Harrison County;
- Town of Corydon: $8,800 to buy police department computer equipment; and
- Town of Milltown: $8,800 to buy police department computer equipment.
The Foundation has provided more than $9.3 million to support not-for-profit projects and scholarships since October 1997.
The Harrison County Commissioners created the Foundation with an initial contribution of $5 million from Caesars Indiana. With additional support from Caesars and donations from the community, the Foundation now has a market value of more than $36 million.
Future grant applications will be accepted after June 1. The applications must be postmarked by July 15 to be considered. The applications will be available after May 1 from the Web site, www.hccfindiana.org, or contact the Foundation staff for a printed copy. All not-for-profit agencies serving Harrison County are invited to apply.
A two-hour grant application workshop will be held Tuesday, May 11. Any agency representative who wants to attend the workshop should RSVP by calling the Foundation office at 738-6668.
