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Health & Fitness

Three Carlsbad Organizations Win CCF Environmental Grants

The Carlsbad Charitable Foundation Announced it's 2011 Environment Grant Award Recipients.

In Magee Park Monday evening the  (CCF)  presented three non-profit organizations with a total of $54,877 in grants. Each organization had to apply and explain how they'd use the money to help the environment.

Carlsbad Kids Go Green was given $10,000. The non-profit helps kids learn more about the environment and how to preserve it during lunch time in schools. They'll use this grant to launch an educational campaign during the 2011-2012 and purchase green recycling bins and other supplies needed for and  so both schools can practice zero waste lunch time. "We are trying to encorage other Carlsbadschools to participate,"  said Kim Ledford. "I'm so excited. We have such a big vision for the future,"she added. 

Kids for Peace's Going Green Campaign was awarded $15,000. The one-year campaign will concentrate on one issue. The main focus will be on clean water because of Carlsbad being on a coast. The campaign will include all the local elementary schools and will have a student council made up of students from each school. That council will choose one environmental issue like recycling, waste management, clean water, etc. that it feels needs to be addressed in the community. This campaign will include programs like awareness, education and action. The Founder and the Executive Director Jill McManigal thanked everyone and said, "We were overjoyed. Thank you for helping our dreams come true."

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The third non-profit organization received a $29,877 grant to use the money to enable third-graders to visit the . The Calrsbad Third Grade Academy for Environmental Stewardship will help 867 third graders to attend the discovery center twice during the 2011-2012 school year. Students will learn about preserving local flora and fauna. Valin Brown, Chief Executive Officer, was very excited. "It's great news and perfect timing. Resources are in place just before the school starts in Fall and we are very delighted," he said.  

The of being awarded a grant is not easy. Every July for the past four years CCF committee members start writing the guidelines, proof reading and then visiting the organizations. This year there were seven organizations vying for grants. Tom Applegate, CCF Grants Chair, said that it is an "eight to nine months process with the follow up team later. Once the check is being issued and the programs launched, the grants committee will form a follow up team which at the six months mark will make a formal visit to the organization to check on the progress. Our hope is that these programs will continue...start with two schools, with the possibility to expand district-wide and certainly can expand nationally." 

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The evening also celebrated the creation of a legacy fund by Knox and June Williams that will benefit the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation.

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