Officials with the Cass County Community Foundation (CCCF) today (Friday), distributed $26,775 to non-profit agencies within the County. The grants were presented at the Cass County Courthouse. With the grants, the CCCF has distributed more than $1.6-million in grants and scholarships over the last 14-years.

Representatives of the 14 non-profit organizations show-off their CCCF checks Friday on the steps of the Cass County Courthouse. (Ric Hanson/photo)

Among the 14 organizations which submitted applications for grants by the Sept. 1st, 2014 deadline and which received funding, was:

• The Anita Foundation: $1,500 to upgrade a toddler playground.
• The Anita Health & Wellness Center: $350 for weight benches and rubber weightlifting mats.
• The Ann W. Wickman Child Development Center: $3,000 for an expansion project.
• The Atlantic Fire Dept.: $2,000 for a MARSARS Ice Rescue Response Kit & rescue sled.
• The Atlantic Parks & Recreation Dept.: $3,000 for the final phase of camping pads at the Schildberg Recreation Area.
• The Cass County Historical Museum: $2,150 for renovations to the Receiving Area.
• The Center for the Advancement of Self Seficiency, Inc.: $2,000 for an Automatic door opener.
• The Cumberland Public Library: $2,000 for Expansion of technology facility/
• Friends of the Griswold Public Library: $3,125 for Library software & technology.
• Friends of the Cass County Outdoor Classroom: $3,000 for an addition to the education bldg.
• The Griswold FFA: $2,000 for replacement of the Cass County FFA Food Stand.
• The Hitchcock House Advisory Board: $1,000 for gift shop/registration bldg. expansion.
• The Lewis Town & Country Booster, Inc.: $1,000 for tables for the Lewis Community Center..
• The Massena Lions Club: $650 for the Lions Hall renovations.

All grantees met the criteria as Cass County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions in the areas of civic, cultural, health, education and social services. Only organizations providing services in Cass County were eligible.

Nicholas Hunt, Chair of the Cass County Community Foundations reminds area groups and non-profit organizations, that by Feb. 1st, 2015, the CCCF will have close to $100,000 in grants to giveaway, so interested groups and organizations should be preparing their grant ideas now for the Feb. 1st application deadline. He says the Spring grant cycle in February is usually larger than the fall cycle.