The Seward Community Foundation (SCF) held their 2019 Donor Appreciation and Grant Awards on Tuesday, May 7th. Ninety people shared in an evening that was humorous, generous and giving. Five donors helped present 18 grants, worth $100,928, to local nonprofits! Those presenting were Chip and Teri Arnold, Tekla Seavey, Rhonda Hubbard and the evenings Emcee, Jim Fredrickson. Almost as amazing as awarding $100,000 was that nearly $8,000 was raised that evening during their Pay It Forward Challenge. The premise behind the challenge is that a name is drawn from the donations given that evening and a grant equal to the donation is made to the winner’s choice of nonprofits. Keith and Jackie Campbell won the drawing and chose the He Will Provide Food Bank.
The SCF Board of Advisors thanked their donors for being philanthropists and believing in our community and the possibility of being able to make a difference. To our nonprofits, they appreciated the devotion and dedication they have in making these changes happen, and to the Rasmuson Foundation and The Alaska Community Foundation, they thanked them for their support and guidance in helping SCF become a place where we can connect people who care with causes that matter.
In its 11 years since inception, the Seward Community Foundation through its donors have given a total of 369 grants to 45 different nonprofits worth $817,290 to our community.
SCF is an Affiliate of The Alaska Community Foundation (ACF). Mariko Sarafin – Senior Program Officer, Christina Fenner – Communications Specialist, and Jessie Lavoie – Pick.Click.Give. Program Manager from ACF attended the event. Kris Norosz of the Rasmuson Foundation Board and ACF Board also attended and spoke about the important partnership that Rasmuson Foundation has with ACF, supporting the Affiliate program over the last 13 years.
2019 SCF Grant Awards
Marathon Wrestling Club, $4,300 – Connex Storage Container
He Will Provide Food Pantry, $3,600 – Food Pantry Program Assistance
Seward Area Hospice, $14,000 – Hospice Services and Palliative Care
Seward Nordic Ski Club, $5,500 – Kids Plus Skis Equal Family Fun
Seward Prevention Coalition, $3,800 – Seward Community Skills Clay Club
Seward PTA, $2,500 – Imagination Library
Moose Pass Public Library, $3,241 – Voice of Moose Pass
Kenai Mountains Public Media, $4,175 – Main Antenna Purchase and Installation
Seward Prevention Coalition, $5,000 – Miss Kendra Project
Alaska SeaLife Center, $9,000 – Ocean Sciences Club 2019-20
Seward PTA, $3,325 – Kids to Slopes 2020
Seward Teen & Youth Center, $5,000 – Summer Enrichment Programs
Independent Living Center, $5,000 – TRAILS Program
Alaska SeaLife Center, $3,200 – Drone Horizons Expo + 3 mini-drones
Seward Prevention Coalition $5,200 – Planet Youth: the Icelandic Model
Seward PTA, $12,207 – Seward Bike Park
SeaView Community Services, $1,680– Accessing Resilience Through Experimental Therapeutic Activities
Moose Pass Volunteer Fire Company, $10,200 – Fire Fighter Protective Clothing