HOUGHTON - Twenty-five local community groups received almost $4,000 in grants this year from the Keweenaw Community Foundation's Herman Gundlach Fund.
Before his death, Gundlach made provisions for the fund as a way to continue helping some of his favorite charities. He had ties to many of the groups, such as the South Range Veterans for Foreign Wars post, the Good Will Farm and the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter, founded by his wife.
"If you talk to anyone in town, he was a great philanthropist, and he got other people interested to help in the community," KCF Executive Director Barb Rose said.
Gundlach's daughters administer the fund, which gave out $3,900 this year. Rose said they make decisions annually about who receives the money. This year's recipients include SKY, a first-time awardee that gives microgrants to people for reasons such as providing something for school.
Despite the tough economy, Rose said, the daughters elected to give grants out of the fund principle.
"These are hard times in terms of granting, so they wanted to try and do something," she said.
The awardees are as follows:
Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter, $500
Finlandia University Scholarship, $200
Copper Country United Way, $200
Read To Ride Program, $200
Sts. Peter & Paul Lutheran Church, $200
Salvation Army, $200
Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly, $200
Keweenaw Family Resource Center, $200
Copper Country Girl Scouts, $200
Keweenaw Community Foundation, $200
Boy Scouts of America, Hiawathaland Council, $100
Keweenaw Unitarian Fellowship, $100
Copper Country Community Arts, $100
Pine Mountain Music Festival, $100
Omega House, $100
Copper Country Humane Society, $100
Bay Cliff Health Camp, $100
Camp Lahti For Kids, $100
Calumet Theatre, $100
Elks Lodge 404-Calumet, $100
VFW South Range, $100
Copper Country Habitat for Humanity, $100
Good Will Farm-Big Brothers Big Sisters, $100
Lions Club-Cho Scholarship, $100
SKY, $100
Garrett Neese can be reached at gneese@mininggazette.com.