Officials with The Wellmark Foundation today (Tuesday) announced 17 Iowa organizations have been awarded Matching Assets to Community Health (MATCH) grants. Applicants were able to request up to $25,000 in grant funding. To ensure community support for the grant projects, recipients were challenged to match this grant at 50 percent. Each of the grant recipients submitted projects that will help individuals, families and communities achieve better health through built environment initiatives that encourage physical activity and/or access to and consumption of nutritious foods.

Among the 17 Iowa organizations that were selected to receive a 2018 Small MATCH grant is:

The City of Earlham, $15,000 for Tennis court restoration; The city of Earlham plans to restore its tennis courts, which are conveniently located in the center of town. The restoration will include resurfacing and repainting the courts while also installing new posts, nets and lights to enhance the safety and functionality of the area.

The City of Glenwood, $25,000, for a Trail and trailhead project. The project will connect Glenwood to Bellevue, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs. It will create nearly 2.5 miles of paved trails with six bridges that will improve access to parks, youth athletic facilities, the aquatic center and several area schools. The trailhead will include a safe parking area for residents to engage in school and park activities. And, the City of Glenwood was awarded $25,000 for Vine Street pickleball courts. The City of Glenwood and the Southwest Iowa Pickleball Committee are working to create six pickleball courts. The project will replace the city’s dilapidated 50-year-old tennis courts with well-designed, low-maintenance pickleball courts. The new courts will provide the first opportunity for outdoor pickleball play in Southwest Iowa.

Since 2011, The Wellmark Foundation has provided more than $9 million in grant funding to communities across Iowa and South Dakota. Visit The Wellmark Foundation website to learn more about the 2019 grant opportunities, which will be posted in late December.