The Miami and Area Foundation announced the recipients of 12 grants at their annual dinner on Nov. 15.
Members of the board pose following the 25th-anniversary business awards ceremony. The board will continue to guide the organization through upcoming projects and community initiatives
Community members gathered at the Miami Event Centre to hear the grant announcements and to discover who would receive the honour of Miami and Area Citizen of the Year. Foundation chair, Gordon Simpson, said their celebration was an overwhelming success.
“We are very pleased with the results this year after raising a good amount of money for our grants, and our auction was a success as well,” he explained.
This year, the foundation raised $55,000 through the Miami and Area Foundation’s endowment fund and through a gift from the Thomas Sill Foundation, setting a new record for the most amount of grants handed out in a single evening. This year’s recipients were,
Miami & Area Foundation Grants:
• Miami Museum – Museum restoration project: $3500
• Blair Sharpe Active Living Centre – Gym equipment: $2500
• Lloyd Orchard Community Arena – Ice Surface CO2 detector: $3000
• Miami Children’s Facility – Cordless Blinds Project: $3000
• Miami School Parent Advisory Council – Farm Safety Day for Students: $1500
• Pumpkin Creek Cross Country Ski Club – Ski Rental Equipment: $1000
• Miami Golf & Country Club – Bathroom renovation project: $3000
• Miami Curling Club – Fire Exit Door Replacement & Fire Protection Upgrades: $5000
• Miami Fire & Rescue – New Battery Operated Extraction Tools: $10,000
Thomas Sill Grants Flow through to Miami Area Foundation for 2025:
• Altamont Community Centre – AED & Door Upgrades: $3000
• Dunston Church Historical Restoration – Building: $7000
• LUD of Miami/RM of Thompson – Playground Equipment Miami Park: $13,000
Bob McMillan was also named Citizen of the Year.
Simpson thanks those who made monetary and auction prize donations, claiming they helped make the evening a success.
Next year, the foundation will be heading into their 16th year and have set a goal to surpass $1 million in raised assets through the foundation. Simpson noted this would make next year’s gala extra special.
“We are here to help the community grow, an attribute we share with many others,” he said. “We are out here just doing the best we can with whatever we got to work with.”
