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Geneva, IL - The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley held its first Grantee Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, June 30, 2016 at LivingWell Cancer Resource Center in Geneva. The event celebrated twenty local social service, health, education and arts agencies that were approved a total of $285,624.00 in grants from the Community Foundation this spring for various capital projects.
Nearly sixty community members attended the ceremony. Board members, executive directors and key staff of local agencies were recognized for their ongoing service to our community. Also in attendance were Community Foundation Board of Directors, staff and retired board members. Mayor Kevin Burns of Geneva and Mayor Ray Rogina of St. Charles were present to show their appreciation and support of these agencies and the Community Foundation.
"This evening is truly a celebration of you," said Jeff Hartman, Community Foundation President & CEO, referring to the agency representatives, volunteers, donors and board members. He spoke about the commitment that each and every one of the individuals in the room make on a daily basis. They care greatly about this community and want it to be a better place to live and work. He continued by thanking and recognizing the many individuals and donors that support the Community Foundation. "The Community Foundation is only able to award charitable grants due to the thoughtfulness of individuals and donors who support our Grantmaking Program," Hartman acknowledged.
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Vicki Krystof |
Vicki Krystoff, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for
Marklund, a residential home and therapeutic services center for adults and children with severe and profound developmental disabilities, gave a brief testimonial about the impact that their $8,000 grant from the Community Foundation is having on its residents. The grant allowed them to purchase a MOTOMed, a therapeutic stationary body training machine that helps reduce muscle spasms and improves muscle strength and flexibility. When she shared a video of the residents at Marklund usin
g the MOTOmed, it was clear to see how inspired everyone was
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| Austin Dempsey |
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Austin Dempsey, Vice President of Batavia Enterprises Inc. and Community Foundation board member, presented information about trends in the grantmaking program over the past five years. "This spring, we received three times as many applications as last year," said Dempsey. He congratulated the agencies that were awarded grants and acknowledged the projects that were funded. He recognized the services the agencies are providing and the impact they are having on our community. Each agency was then presented with a certificate of recognition.
The Community Foundation recognized the hospitality of the LivingWell staff and the graciousness of the organization, a previous Foundation grantee, in allowing the Community Foundation to have the event at its beautiful facility. Karen Hill, Director of Major and Planned Gifts and Lori Hansen, Special Event Coordinator were on hand to answer questions and provide tours.
We offer a tremendous "Thank You" to all of our sponsors. The ceremony would not have been a success without their generosity. Refreshments were provided by donations and discounts from eight local vendors:
Schaefer Greenhouses donated twenty-five beautiful impatiens that served as centerpieces. AuroraFastPrint designed and produced display boards that acknowledged the grantees and sponsors. The music for the event was courtesy of St. Charles Singers. The agency, a previous grantee, supplied copies of their latest CD, Bushes & Briars.
Click here
to see a list of the agencies that were awarded grants and to view more photos from the ceremony.
For more information about the Community Foundation's Grantmaking Program, visit our website.
About the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley
The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a non-profit, tax-exempt, philanthropic organization that administers individual charitable funds from which grants and scholarships are distributed to benefit the citizens of the Greater Aurora Area, the TriCities and Kendall County, Illinois.
Founded in 1948, the Foundation provides a simple and powerful approach to charitable giving. Individuals, families, businesses and organizations have the opportunity to custom design their own named funds that reflect their charitable goals and interests. Since its inception, the Community Foundation has grown to more than $75 million in assets and has awarded more than $60 million in grants and scholarships.
For more information on the Foundation, visit www.CommunityFoundationFRV.org.
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