The City of Randall, Webster City Meals on Wheels, HERO and the Hamilton County Exposition were the biggest winners in the Enhance Hamilton County grant awards Monday evening.

Fourteen local organizations were awarded grant funds during the EHCF annual grant awards ceremony at the First State Bank meeting room, according to EHCF’s Director Darcy Swon.

Including the 2024 grants, the Foundation has distributed more than $1.76 million through its annual granting program.

A total of $130,965.89 was granted out Monday, Swon said.

The City of Randall was awarded the largest sum — $14,480.35 for the restoration of its community playground.

Other notable grants included $12,163.66 to Webster City Meals on Wheels; $10,000 each to HERO — Help Entertain and Restore Organization — for brick tuckpointing at the Webster Theater and Hamilton County Exposition for grandstand painting.

There were multiple other winners Monday night. Other grant award-winners are:

. Upper Des Moines Opportunity — $5,000 for special projects;

. City of Webster City — $5,000 for the East Twin Park Splash Pad project;

. Hamilton County Animal AdvoCATes — $4,500 for cat housing;

. Building Families — $4,047.05 for the BEE Connected program;

. Stanhope Public Library — $4,000 for children’s area shelving and STEAM storage

. South Hamilton Music Boosters — $3,178.25 for drumline equipment;

. Youth and Shelter Services — $3,000 for outreach programming;

. All Cultures Equal — $596.59 for language program.

In addition to the grants handed out at the ceremony, LIFT WC received $50,000 for the EHCF Challenge Grant, with the remaining $100,000 to be paid out over the next two years. LIFT WC is restoring the historic Elks Building on Webster City’s main street.

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School also received a second grant distribution of $5,000 for its playground project, originally awarded to the school in 2023. The final payment will be given in 2025 as part of a three-year grant distribution.

Tiffany Larson, EHCF Youth in Philanthropy program chair, introduced the 2024 committee members, consisting of students from South Hamilton Community School District and Webster City Community School District.

Youth in Philanthropy committee members from South Hamilton Community School District are Caitlin Bare, junior; Onika Brown, senior; and Cady Zimmerman, senior.

Committee members from the Webster City Community School District are Delainey Bargfrede, senior; Hank Christeson, junior; Alondra Johnson, junior; Emersen Paukert, junior; and Cody Seiser, senior.

Larson said the students review all the grant applications and are responsible for awarding 10% of the available grant funds each year. In addition, students will each receive a $250 scholarship for each year they participate in the program for a maximum scholarship of $500.

The 2023 EHCF grant review committee members are Kendra Chizek, Emily Pruismann, Brian Holt, Lisa Ridge, David Lubbers, Trudy Anderson, Janet Lindseth, Leah Maass, Erin Hoversten-Majewski and Ryan Rupiper.

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.