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Three youth groups to share $1,000

Whistler Youth Foundation, CFOW announce grant recipients

The reformed Whistler Youth Foundation has announced the recipients of its first $1,000 grant.

After reviewing all grant applications, the foundation, which is an initiative overseen by the Community Foundation of Whistler, decided to split the $1,000 among three very worthwhile projects: the Whistler Secondary drama production of “The Pajama Game”; the Whistler Children’s Choir trip to Montreal; and a new youth group set up by AWARE, dedicated to getting youth involved with environmental issues.

Part of the grant money came from the CFOW but it would not have been possible without a generous donation from Diana Rochon from the Whistler Valley Trail Run. By having money available immediately to grant, the newly formed Youth Foundation was able to make an impact on the community right away.

The Whistler Youth Foundation is run by Whistler youths, who are encouraged to learn about philanthropy. The youths issue the call for grant applications and decide which organizations receive funding.

In addition to its work with the Whistler Youth Foundation the Community Foundation of Whistler has recently established two new registered charity endowment funds, the Whistler Search and Rescue Society Fund and the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program Society Fund.

Investment income from the two new funds will be distributed on an annual basis to assist with operating and programming costs for each organization. The Whistler Adaptive Sports Program Society has elected to direct donations to its funds into the CFOW’s Community Values Fund portfolio, which is comprised entirely of socially responsible investments.

The CFOW manages 24 different funds. It has received more than $2.8 million from individuals, business and other charities since its inception in 1999. As a community foundation, the CFOW invests those funds and directs the earnings from those investments to projects that help improve the quality of community life in the Sea to Sky corridor.

Under the CFOW’s Community Grants Program five projects have recently been granted a total of $10,700. The grants are:

• $2,500 to the Xit’olacw Community School in Mount Currie for First Nations outreach and teacher training for the JUMP math program;

• $2,200 to the Rotary Club of Whistler for educational software and playground equipment for Head of the Lakes School at Skatin Nation;

• $2,500 to the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program for an adaptive alpine race development program;

• $1,000 to the Whistler Writers’ Group for the Whistler Writers’ Festival writer-in-residence program;

• $2,500 to the Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation for production of the Crazy for Life play, depression screening and a special speaker at Whistler Secondary School.

The grants were made through six of the CFOW’s 24 funds, including the Vancouver Foundation’s Leadership, Engagement and Development Program; the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation Fund; the Glacier Creek Development Co. Fund; the American Friends of Whistler Fund; the Pemberton Community Fund; and the Whistler Community Fund.