Heartland's Doug Graham, from left, presents a $10,000 check to Prairie View Superintendent Chris Johnson and Little Buffs Daycare Director Bonnie Hobson. The grant is helping with construction costs of the school district's new daycare center.(Submitted photo)
By Doug Graham, communications specialist
Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative Inc.
Two projects benefiting Linn County residents were recently selected for funding through Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative’s Concern for Community grant program.
Prairie View USD 362 was awarded $5,000 toward construction costs at the district’s new childcare center being built in a former bus barn in La Cygne. The district will receive an additional matching award of $5,000 through CoBank’s Sharing Success program, making for a total donation of $10,000.
Meanwhile, Sugar Valley Lake Homes Association Inc. was awarded $5,000 toward a playground project at the Sugar Valley clubhouse in Mound City.
Graham presents a $5,000 check to Tracy Mayhugh, general manager of the Sugar Valley Lake Homes Association. The grant will go toward construction of a playground at the Sugar Valley clubhouse.
The two Linn County projects were among six selected for a total of $29,300 in funding by the Heartland's board of directors through the cooperative’s Concern for Community grant program.
“We had a great batch of proposals this year,” said Mark Scheibe, Heartland CEO. “We look forward to working with some outstanding partners to put these funds to work for the good of Heartland members and their communities.”
As a non-profit, member-owned cooperative, Heartland issues capital credits to members each year, but sometimes those capital credits go unclaimed. Because those monies were intended to be returned to the communities from which they came, Heartland's board of directors decided to use those unclaimed funds for community grants and started the Concern for Community program in 2019.
The Concern for Community program provides grants of up to $5,000 for capital improvement projects throughout the Heartland service area, which covers parts of 12 counties in eastern Kansas. Capital improvement projects are those that involve investment in structures or equipment that will last for many years.
Applications were accepted from June 1 through July 31 and selected by the Heartland board of directors at their August 23 meeting. Heartland plans to reopen applications in summer 2025 for the next round of funding.
This year, six applications out of 30 received were approved for funding by the Heartland board. The other projects selected are as follows:
Bourbon County Senior Citizens, Inc. was awarded $5,000 for repairs to their Meals on Wheels distribution center in Fort Scott.
Cherokee County Kansas Fair Association, Inc. was awarded $5,000 to help purchase cooling fans for the show barns at the fairgrounds in Columbus.
Dream Big Little One Association was awarded $4,300 for repairs and renovations at their distribution center in Columbus.
USD 413 Foundation was awarded $5,000 toward a new animal science learning center at Chanute High School.
About Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. powers rural lifestyles throughout more than 11,000 locations in eastern Kansas. Heartland’s service area includes consumer-members in 12 counties, including Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson.
Heartland REC traces its roots back to three original rural electric cooperatives: Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company, Sugar Valley Electric Cooperative Association, and Sekan Electric Cooperative Association. Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company joined with Sugar Valley in 1975 to form United Electric Cooperative; United Electric Cooperative joined with Sekan Electric Cooperative Association in 1996 to form Heartland.
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