Great Grants Award Winners:  Essex, Kent, Lambton  (l-r) Blair Dimock, Director, Research, Evaluation and Knowledge Management, OTF; Mary Ellen Warren, Sarnia Lambton Rebound (winner of the Great Grant Award - Human and Social Services); Sandra Braendle, Program Manager, OTF Windsor, October 17, 2007 – Six remarkable Ontario not-for profit organizations will be honoured for the difference they have made in their communities at the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Great Grants Awards in Windsor, October 17, 2007.  The evening will be hosted by Patty Handysides from AM 800 CKLW Windsor and will also celebrate the Foundation’s 25th Anniversary. “The Great Grants Awards recognize the vision, commitment and energy of Ontario’s volunteers and community organizations,” said Rosemary Lavoratore, Grant Review Team Chair.  “This is our 25th year of strengthening communities and we’re celebrating by holding 16 award events across the province. We look forward to meeting community members in the Essex, Kent, Lambton, area who help make Ontario a great place to live.” The Foundation presents the Great Grants Awards every two years. The award winners were selected by volunteers who serve on the local Grant Review Team. In Essex, Kent, Lambton, six organizations were chosen for their outstanding achievements in the Arts and Culture, Sports and Recreation, Environment and Human and Social Services sectors. 2007 Great Grants Award Winners:  Essex, Kent, Lambton  • Arts and Culture: StreetsmARTS c/o St. Leonard’s House Some people consider graffiti to be an art form, but when graffiti is indiscriminately scrawled on property, it can take over a neighbourhood. The St. Leonard’s House and Douilliard Place, two well respected community groups, collaborated to harness the artistic energy of youth. In 2005, OTF provided $75,000 to launch StreetsmARTS, a program to teach mural art to youth, while educating them about the impact of graffiti vandalism. The combination of St. Leonard’s expertise in graffiti removal with Drouilliard Place’s experience in mural programs was highly effective.  Working together under the guidance of an experienced mural artist, key neighbourhoods are now growing creatively.  The StreetsmARTS program has been a great success. With the participation of youth, six new murals were created and over 500 pieces of graffiti were removed. Beautiful. • Sports and Recreation: Pan American Junior Athletic Championships c/o Junior Pan American Track and Field Operating Corporation One of the biggest amateur sporting events to ever hit Windsor, the 2005 Pan American Junior Athletic Championships was a great success for both athletes and the City of Windsor. With the assistance of an OTF grant of $57,000 over one year to help offset marketing, educational and cultural considerations, the Pan American Track and Field Operating Corporation estimates the games helped inject $5 million into the local economy. Over 22,000 people cheered on athletes from 42 countries over the four days. More than 600 volunteers were trained and a volunteer database was created for future reference. The games helped build Windsor’s reputation as a venue to host other large sporting events, festivals or similar volunteer-driven occasions. The championships vaulted Windsor into world class status. Watch out Toronto! • Environment: Water Retention Area Enhancement Community Initiative c/o St. Clair Region Conservation Authority A clean and abundant supply of water gives life to our planet. The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority, the Rural Lambton Stewardship Network and Ducks Unlimited Canada are organizations dedicated to the protection of water resources. In 2005, OTF granted $126,000 over two years to the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority and the collaborative effort to improve naturally occurring water retention areas in the St. Clair and Sydenham River systems. The initiative focused on creating and rehabilitating wetlands, which act to naturally filter water. While the wetlands are home to fish and other wildlife, they also help supply high quality drinking water to the community.    This project continues to give rural and non-rural landowners the opportunity to preserve, restore or enhance their property. The project has exceeded expectations, with over 24 hectares of wetlands already created or improved. • Human and Social Services: Sarnia-Lambton Rebound augmented its Youth Justice Circles In 2005, OTF granted $91,000 over two years to Sarnia-Lambton Rebound, to assist in augmenting its Youth Justice Circles. This initiative addressed a need to find creative solutions to the challenges of youth crime.  Under the guidance of a justice facilitator, both offenders, victims, and their supporters are brought together to discuss the impact of the offender’s crime.  Suitable restitution for harm done is decided and the offender leaves with empathy for the victim, a vital social skill the offender previously lacked.  Results from the grant were extremely positive. Twenty-eight volunteers were trained as facilitators. All victims felt their voices were heard and the youth were held accountable for their actions. Youth participants signed agreements on repairing the damage they had done to the victims and justice facilitators ensured the details of the contract were fulfilled. There is great potential for this initiative to continue decreasing re-offending rates. • Grant Review Team Chair’s Award - for exemplary volunteerism: Forest Community Theatre  The Forest Community Theatre delivers top quality amateur theatre performances, with 180 volunteers taking on various on-stage and off-stage roles. In 2002, OTF granted over $40,000 to the theatre to purchase new lighting and sound equipment for its outdoor amphitheatre. With no paid staff, the theatre company writes, produces, stages, costumes and markets its performances. One of the theatre’s productions entitled “The Promise” had an amazing 11 year run and was seen by over 50,000 people. Because the Theatre had been so successful galvanizing the community, OTF made another grant to the group to help launch a music festival this year that included dance and a youth theatre troupe. The theatre group has helped boost tourism to this small community.  With a population just shy of 3,000, Forest is a thriving artistic hub. Thanks to its diverse and dedicated volunteers who range from age two to 70, the show goes on. • 25th Anniversary Award - for remaining a leader in the not-for profit or charitable sector by consistently delivering on the Foundation’s granting priorities:  Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association   In 1982, several concerned parents in the Windsor-Essex area formed a support group for people affected by eating disorders. Three years later the group incorporated the Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association, the first of its kind in Ontario. Dedicated to the treatment of eating disorders and related issues, the Association promotes healthy body image and self-esteem for youth and adults. In 2002, the OTF awarded the Association over $170,000 to help the group develop an eating disorders prevention program for smaller children. Puppeteers gave shows to children from nursery school through primary school, to educate them about diverse body shapes and sizes. Support material was also developed for youth and adults. The program reached over 10,000 children and is now being expanded as a body-based harassment educational program for youth up to Grade 12. This valuable, if not life-saving work, has helped many young people and adults lead healthy lives.    Back to the events list