The Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies (CFKR) distributed $21,151.77 to 28 community projects/programs at its 2018 AGM and 2019 Granting Celebration, on June 13 at the Ground Floor Co-working Space.

In addition, $32,125.66 was re-invested in the principals of ten endowment funds held by CFKR, including the establishment of the brand-new East Kootenay SPCA fund.

The June 13 event was made possible through the generous support of Rella Paolini Rogers as the Lead Event Sponsor. Jubinville Photography was the Event Photography Sponsor. Huckleberry Books and Serena Petrushevsky-World Financial Group were the Seating Sponsors.

CFKR provided grants to a wide range of community projects and programs in 2019.

The Sparwood Community Fund provided the following grants:

• Youth Action Sparwood – A Little Free Library: $500
• Elk River Watershed Alliance, wetland project: $1,000
• Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network, education program: $500
• The final grant is moving through the approval process: $689.15.

The Fernie Community Fund granted the following:

• Elk Valley Society for Community Living’s summer program: $1,000
• Senior Citizens Club of Fernie and District’s 60^thAnniversary celebration: $1,000
• Fernie and District Arts Council’s youth theatre project: $500
• Fernie Karate Club, floor mats: $500
• Special Olympics Elk Valley Bowling Tournament: $150
• In addition, the Hough Ingalls Fund for Animal Welfare allocated $250 to the Fernie Pets Society’s Railyard Dog Park Fencing project.
• The 2019 Dr. Sparling and Mrs. Mary East Memorial Scholarship of $1,000 will be granted in the coming months.

The Elkford Community Fund was established in late 2018 and looks forward to its first year of granting in 2020.

A total of $7,612.82 in grants were provided by several Cranbrook and area endowment funds, including the Cranbrook Community Fund; Seniors’ Enhancement Fund; Kimberley-Cranbrook 2008 Winter Games Arts/Culture and Sports Funds; Knights of Pythias Fund; Arts, Culture, and Heritage Fund; Environment Fund; and Outdoor Recreation Fund:

• Cranbrook Community Theatre Facility Upgrades: $1,000
• Blue Lake Forest Education Society Outdoor Youth Leadership Program: $1,050
• Cranbrook Age-Friendly Advisory Committee, Printed Resources: $800
• Cranbrook Pickleball Club, Court Re-Surfacing: $1,000
• Cranbrook Curling Club, Baby Change Tables: $500
• Cranbrook Multicultural Society, Multicultural Festival: $1,000
• Cranbrook Farmers’ Market Society, Kooltural Project: $450
• Special Olympics Cranbrook-Kimberley Swim Meet: $862.82
• East Kootenay Climbing Assoc., Lumberton Route: $450
• SkateLife Cranbrook, Healthy Snacks: $500.

CFKR’s designated endowment funds provided the following grants:

• East Kootenay Community Credit Union Endowment Fund to local Salvation Army food programs: $640.15
• Symphony of the Kootenays: $1,960.80
• East Kootenay Foundation for Health: $786.37.

CFKR’s agency endowment funds made these grants:

• Children First, supporting families and children under six: $1,499.89
• Joyce Metcalfe Memorial Fund, benefiting the Cranbrook Bugle Band: $398.10
• EKFH-Roy & Annabel Maundrell Fund: $230.65.

CFKR’s donor-advised funds granted the following:

• Melodie Hull Fund for Mental Health and Addictions to the East Kootenay Addiction Services Society’s Rock Solid Program: $433.84
• Casey and Corrine Hanemayer Fund to the EK SPCA: $1,500
• Mark Mahovlic Memorial Scholarship Fund will grant its $1,000 scholarship in the coming months.

Several endowment fund holders chose to re-invest their 2019 grants in order to grow their principals, thereby growing their future granting:

• Friends of Fort Steele Fund: $4,329.79
• Cranbrook Public Library Fund: $586.23
• Cranbrook History Centre Fund: $921.49
• Cranbrook Boys and Girls Club Fund: $277.72
• East Kootenay Friends of Children Fund: $264.59
• Key City Gymnastics Club Fund: $407.83
• Hough Ingalls Fund for Animal Welfare: $47.46
• Niedermayer Family Fund: $1,345.14.

The Casey and Corrine Hanemayer Funds re-invested a significant portion of their 2019 grants in the following endowment funds:

• Establishing the brand-new East Kootenay SPCA Fund: $10,000
• Friends of Fort Steele Fund: $4,648.47
• Cranbrook History Centre Fund: $4,648.47
• East Kootenay Foundation for Health Fund: $4,648.47.

Lynnette Wray, CFKR Executive Director, stated “The Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies was so pleased with the diversity of grant applications this year. Thank you to all our endowment fund holders, donors, sponsors, non-profits, local government, community partners, and volunteers who believe in and support CFKR’s long-term and sustainable approach to charitable giving. Special thanks to Casey and Corrine Hanemayer for playing a key role in building this permanent ‘nest egg’ for our community.”

CFKR has been federally incorporated since 2003 and is a CRA-registered charity. CFKR is governed by a 13-member volunteer board and employs one staff person. CFKR currently holds a total of approximately $2.5 million in 36 permanently invested endowment funds, including the Elkford Community Fund, Sparwood Community Fund, and Fernie Community Fund.

Lead image: A photo of the attendees at the event. Photos by Jubinville Photography

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