Youth in Philanthropy committee members are pictured from left: Shelby Brim, Webster City High School Senior; Carly Appel, Webster City High School Senior; Delainey Bargfrede, Webster City High School Junior; Aiden Felts, Webster City High School Senior; Amanda Ostrem, South Hamilton High School Senior; Cady Zimmerman, South Hamilton High School Junior; and Onika Brown, South Hamilton High School Junior. Absent from photo is Cody Seiser, Webster City High School Junior.

Enhance Hamilton County has once again proven its worth to the county it benefits. In one evening, its largesse was passed on to 10 area organizations during an awards presentation Tuesday.

More than $90,000 was awarded to the 10 organizations at the EHCF annual grant awards held in the First State Bank meeting room.

Darcy Swon, Enhance Hamilton County’s director, told the assembled group that by the end of 2023, the Foundation will have granted out more than $1.54 million in grants through the annual granting program.

A total of $90,877.37 was granted out Tuesday night, she said.

The largest single amount awarded went to the South Hamilton Community School District — $24,000 — for its Early Learning Playground.

Webster City Daycare received $20,000 for its childcare center renovation, which is expected to expand its capacity in an effort to meet the continuing need for childcare services.

The Hamilton County Fair Foundation received $16,000 — that money will go towards the Hamilton County Event Center expansion project.

St Thomas Aquinas Catholic School received $10,000 for its playground renovation project. Enhance Hamilton County Foundation also committed to provide the school with an additional $10,000 — to be paid out over the next two years — also its playground renovation project.

Here are the other grant awards:

• South Hamilton Music Boosters — $6,637.74 for musical instruments and equipment;

• Meals on Wheels — $6,500 for program expenses;

• Stanhope Development Group — $5,000 for the Bring the Stanhope Depot Home project;

• Webster City Vocal Boosters — $1,300 for garment bags and hangers for new choir robes;

• Hamilton County Development — $950 for the Explore Hamilton County for a tourism project;

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Pictured from left are: Amanda Ostrem, YiP committee member, South Hamilton Senior; Hillary Lang, Webster City Daycare Center director; Jessica Danileson, assistant director; Cindy Im, board vice president and treasurer; and Alex Woodall, Enhance Hamilton County Foundation board member.

Pictured from left are: Amanda Ostrem, YiP committee member, South Hamilton Senior; Hillary Lang, Webster City Daycare Center director; Jessica Danileson, assistant director; Cindy Im, board vice president and treasurer; and Alex Woodall, Enhance Hamilton County Foundation board member.

Tiffany Larson, EHCF Youth in Philanthropy program chair, introduced the 2023 committee members, who are: Amanda Ostrem, senior; Cady Zimmerman, junior; and Onika Brown, junior; from South Hamilton High School.

Webster City High School students include Shelby Brim, senior; Aiden Feltz, senior; Carly Appel, senior; Delainey Bargfrede, junior; and Cody Seiser, junior.

According to Larson, YiP members review all the grant applications and are responsible for awarding 10% of the available grant funds each year.

The 2023 EHCF grant review committee members included Kendra Chizek, Emily Pruismann, Travis Barrick, Brian Holt, Kyle Swon, Lisa Ridge, David Lubbers, Trudy Anderson, Janet Lindseth, Leah Maass, Erin Hoversten-Majewski, and Sara Trueblood.

For more information on the Enhance Hamilton County Foundation grant program and other resources, contact Swon at 515-835-0437 or via email at dswon@enhancehamiltoncounty.org.