The Quesnel Community Foundation reached some high ground when it comes to the grants it was able to hand out this year.
Mary Sjostom is the Foundation’s President.
“This year we’re actually able to hand out almost 90 thousand dollars, it’s around 89,570, and that’s going to 16 different community groups across the Quesnel region, so you know we’re really, really excited about that.”
Sjostrom says that total was about 15 thousand dollars more than last year and the largest amount ever, and she says they were also able to distribute their largest grant ever.
Twenty thousand dollars went to the Gold Rush Cycling Club for their Wonderland and Dragon Mountain trail plan.
The Foundation is celebrating 20 years this year and Sjostom was there at the beginning.
“It’s really funny because I was a brand new rookie Councillor and I was actually filling in for Peter McLaughlin on the Winter Games, and Mayor Steve (Wallace) of the day sent me to negotiate with a couple of individuals from the BC Games to see what we could get for funding from the revenue that they had left over from the games.”
Sjostrom says they were also able to get 50 thousand dollars, which the City of Quesnel and the Vancouver Foundation both matched.
From that 150 thousand dollars, the endowment has now grown to almost 3.6 million dollars.
Sjostrom says it has now come full circle for her as President.
She says she is really proud of what has been accomplished by so many people.
“The Quesnel community needs to be really proud of this organization and what they’ve been able to do over the years, and all the dedicated Directors and all the volunteer time that they give, and the wonderful giving community. I think we just need to stop for a second and just say thank you.”
Sjostrom says they will be giving out their bursaries and scholarships at the end of the month.
FULL LIST OF THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENTS
Quesnel 4-H Live Streaming $2,000.00
Quesnel Pride Society Pride Visibility Project /Website design $1,680.00
Cariboo Ski Club Snowmobile Purchase $11,840.00
Quesnel & District Hospice & Palliative Care Association Digital No- Contact Thermometers $650.00
Quesnel and District Seniors’ Society Seniors’ Day Breakfast Fair $1,750.00
North Cariboo Seniors’ Council Canadian Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) Support $3,700.00
Gold Rush Cycling Club Wonderland and Dragon Mountain Development Plan $20,000.00
Island Mountain Arts Art in The Forest $10,000.00
Alex Fraser Park Society Agricultural Event Center Furnishing $10,000.00
West Village Community Garden Greenhouse Project $6,700.00
Literacy Quesnel Society Story Walk Display Fixtures $2,900.00
Lightning Creek Ski Club Club Equipment Purchase $7,500.00
Quesnel and District Child Development Centre Accessible Toy Lending Library $3,000.00
TARAPS Totes, T-shirts & Tent $2,050.00
Quesnel and District Arts Council Sound Explosion Equipment $2,000.00
Quesnel Motocross Association Starting Gate $3,800.00
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