From the Holland Sentinel - Holland, MI —
Tulip Time Dutch dancers should have a little spring in their steps this year.
The Community Foundation of the Holland Zeeland Area will match every dollar — up to $7,500 — raised for Tulip Time’s Dutch dance program.
The newly created Sharing the Spirit Challenge Grant will allow Dutch dancers to travel to more community events around the West Michigan area.
“We hope that we can ‘share the spirit’ of Holland by sending our Dutch dancers as ambassadors to different community events,” Dutch Dance Program Director Judy Tuinenga said.
Each year, the Tulip Time Festival raises nearly $25,000 for the Dutch dance program. This year, the foundation is joining in the fundraising as part of its 60th anniversary celebration.
To donate, visit tuliptime.com and click on the Community Foundation icon.
Holland, MI — More than $87,000 of grants have been awarded by the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area in its third and final grant round of 2010. The 18 grants to area nonprofit organizations ranged from $2,000 to $8,000. They target critical programs and innovative community efforts that address local needs and improve the quality of life for residents of the Holland/Zeeland area, the foundation noted.
Grants cover the gamut from the Holland Free Health Clinic ($8,000) to Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holland ($5,000) to the Center of African American Art and History ($7,250) and Young Life ($7,500).
The grants are reviewed by members of the Community Foundation’s Board or the Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee of eighteen local high school students.
A new round of grants begins for 2011, with proposals for projects that enhance the quality of life of the Holland/Zeeland community. Grants will be distributed three times in 2011, with proposals due to the Foundation on Jan. 17, June 6 and Sept. 19. To learn more, visit the Community Foundation online at cfhz.org.
Here are the grants announced at the end of 2010:
• Holland Historic Trust - $3,000 for preserving paintings and framed works of art through proper storage.
• Family Hope Foundation - $6,000 to assist families with children with special needs in accessing therapy and other support services.
• Holland Free Health Clinic - $8,000 to equip the clinic’s current dental facility to enable volunteer dentists to provide restorative dental care and extractions for underserved residents.
• Good Samaritan Ministries - $7,000 to provide matching funds for two full-time AmeriCorps members to expand the capacity of the Affordable Housing Connections Program and Clearinghouse Services.
• Holland Alano Association - $6,000 to support continued growth in leadership capacity.
• Jordan River Ministries - $5,000 to expand services for residents of the women’s transitional home who are recovering from substance abuse.
• Midtown Counseling Services - $2,000 to provide counseling services to residents of Holland’s core city neighborhoods.
• Ottawa County Human Services Coordinating Council - $5,000 to coordinate county-wide human service issues with a focus on expanding access to health and mental health services.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Holland - $5,000 to expand the Teen Tech program for Teen Center members.
• Center of African American Art and History - $7,250 for the Children’s Reading and Arts Corner and related programming for children in kindergarten through 3rd grade.
• Every Woman’s Place - $2,616 to provide housing for homeless or runaway youth aged 10-17 in licensed host homes.
• Greater Ottawa County United Way - $5,000 to expand the Student Service Learning Program in Holland/Zeeland area schools.
• Holland Area Arts Council - $3,000 to help facilitate a month-long Youth Arts Festival.
• Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance - $7,500 for the Migrant Sports Program.
• Ottawa County MSU Extension - $2,000 to provide matching funds for a Mentor Michigan College Coaching AmeriCorps member to work with the Ottawa County Mentoring Collaborative.
• Rick Rack - $2,952 to furnish and equip space for the clothing program which serves youth in foster care.
• Sheldon Woods Elementary - $2,475 to create an Autism Sensory Room which will help students with Autism Spectrum Disorder become more productive learners.
• Young Life - $7,500 to develop and implement a year-long life skills curriculum for teenage mothers.
After making the winning shot to leading the Fennville High School basketball team to an undefeated regular season, Wes Leonard tragically passed away March 3, 2011. He is remembered by his coach Ryan Klingler “…as just an amazing kid. What made him special is he had a passion about everything he did. That’s what separated him—his passion. He had a passion to compete. He had a passion to be his best.”
In Wes’ honor, his family and friends have created the Wes Leonard Heart Team Fund. The Fund was created to ensure schools have the equipment and trained personnel to address emergency heart related issues, and fund research in the field of cardiology to help reduce the number of lives lost to Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area is very pleased to be part of this effort. Your support of the Wes Leonard Heart Team Fund may be what makes the difference for a young athlete in the future.