Paynesville, Minn. – The Paynesville Area Community Foundation (PACF) is pleased to announce that $86,760 has been granted to support five area organizations including $38,000 awarded through the annual grant round process which closed on March 31. “The PACF awards annual grants that will continue to strengthen our community by enabling lasting, positive change within the greater Paynesville area. This is the largest annual grants awarded in PACF history including an over 50% increase over last year,” stated Randy Schaefer, Executive Director of the PACF. “It’s only through the generous donations from individuals, families and businesses over the years that we are able to provide grant to area nonprofit organizations,” shared Sheriff Ahmed, Chair of the PACF Board of Directors.
The organizations that received funding are as follows:
- $20,000 to Paynesville Area Schools for the Early Childhood Playground project. Paynesville Area Community Education is leading an initiative to build an all-inclusive playground for children between the ages of 2 and 5. The Early Childhood Playground Project will feature age-appropriate equipment that promotes the physical and cognitive development of children while also ensuring their safety within a fun environment. The construction of the Early Childhood Playground will improve the well-being of families in the Paynesville area by establishing an inclusive and welcoming space where all children can play and learn together. Moreover, it will ensure the children have access to playground space for their preschool and early childhood family education sessions.
- $10,000 to Regal Youth Baseball Club for the 2024 Youth Baseball Field Lighting Project. This project includes adding a new “slightly used” sports field lighting system to one of two city owned baseball fields in Regal, MN. Both of these city owned fields are used to help coach young kids, promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle by staying active, promote teamwork, and create lifelong friendships, all through the wonderful game of baseball. Adding lights to one of the fields will allow Regal’s organization to be more flexible in their schedule and allow them to accommodate the increased number of games for all age groups. By putting sports lighting on one of the fields, this project opens up to the opportunity to host additional youth tournaments, bringing more kids to the ballpark to play. Baseball teams, especially youth teams, bring kids and parents from surrounding communities together. These games help to create friendships and connections that last a lifetime.
- $6,000 to Lake Henry Fire & Rescue for Quick Attack Fire Monitor. Lake Henry Fire & Rescue provides first responder, volunteer aid & fire extinguishment for both emergency and non-emergency situations. The “Mercury Quick Attack Fire Monitor” is an aim-able, controllable, high-capacity water jet designed to discharge up to 2000 gallons per minute. This Deluge Gun is unique in that it is smaller, portable, and designed for quick setup. This device would help to eliminate risk by moving personnel out of hazardous positions. Following setup, the Deluge Gun is unmanned, which frees up personnel to engage in other attack and rescue operations. Additionally, the large amount of water mechanically delivered by this unit would help to alleviate firefighter fatigue. The Monitor can also be positioned to protect adjacent structures and minimize additional damage.
- $2,000 to Paynesville Historical Society for Kids History Camp. The Paynesville Historical Society (PHS) recognizes that in order to carry on their work into the future, younger generations need to experience all it has to offer. One way to reach younger people is to provide a full day Kids History Camp. The mission of the camp is to connect youth with pioneer life and Minnesota heritage and help them understand how the past affects our lives today. Located on the grounds of the museum and on a nearby farm, kids from ages six to fifteen will participate in six stations, each focused on a different topic of living in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Kids History Camp will be a multi-generational activity, bringing kids and adults together through learning activities. They hope to reach a new generation and teach them about the Paynesville area and Minnesota history with these camps. The Paynesville area has a deep, rich history that is preserved by the Paynesville Historical Society and should be shared with all generations. Through Kids History Camp they will promote area pride, historical education, and multigenerational connections. In July and August of this year, PHS is hosting the History Camp which is exposing over 100 children to these experiences
An additional $48,760 was granted to Paynesville Area Schools from the Paynesville Area Vocational and Career Training Fund. This grant will support three initiatives within the school district.
- The creation of a Work Experience Lab within the school for all students in Special Education at the Middle School and High School levels. With this lab, students will be exposed to a broad range of hands-on, work skills. Students will have the opportunity to explore nearly 300 jobs in five career areas that are based upon typical skills found in community based jobs. The five career areas are: Business Marketing, Computer Technology, Construction Industrial, Processing Production and Consumer Service.
- Purchase of a laser engraver that works on objects over 2 inches in height to teach modern skills for personalized product demand. It boosts tech proficiency, creativity, and entrepreneurship, aligning students with job market needs and preparing them for success ina wide array of professions. Additionally, the innovation center’s utilization of the engraver presents an opportunity to generate profits for future investments, reinforcing sustainability and growth.
- Purchase of a Glowforge to be used in various Visual Art courses that will be offered to students. These courses will include but will not be limited to: Middle & High School Innovative Art, Middle & High School Mixed Media, Advanced Art, Pottery, Exploring Painting, and Leather & Jewelry Making. The Glowforge will provide the students with the opportunity to expand their knowledge base and problem-solving skills as they translate their creative visions into technology-assisted physical products. It also allows students greater access to a design tool that has applications in a vast variety of materials including wood, leather, & resin.