The Worth County Development Authority on Monday gave out more than $1 million in grants during its biannual awards banquet at Diamond Jo Casino.

Money went to organizations and municipalities both inside and outside of Worth County, to Worth County itself and to area food banks. There was also a portion that went toward helping projects written about by Worth County students come to fruition.

In Freeborn County, the Harmony Junction Barbershop singers and the Albert Lea Salvation Army were awarded grants.

In Lake Mills, Iowa, the Lake Mills Ambulance Service received a grant, and in Wells, the Wells Historical Society received one for the Wells Depot Museum.

Regional grants totaled about $113,000, and for Worth County projects alone, the grants totaled about $762,000. Worth County received about $130,000, and area food banks received about $61,000.

“It’s pretty neat to be on this end,” said Kim Koenigs, executive director of the WCDA. “To me, it’s not about the money that’s given out. It’s about people coming up with ideas to help other people.”

Each year, the WCDA — the nonprofit connected with the Diamond Jo Casino that holds the casino’s gaming license — receives 5.76 percent of the casino’s annual gross revenue.

Off the top of that amount in donations, the WCDA gives 7 percent to Worth County, and the other 93 percent is divided in half between education and then regional or countywide grants.

Grants are given out twice a year, and educational awards out given out annually.

Since its inception in the fall of 2006, the nonprofit has given out $11.5 million in grants, Koenigs said.

This year, the organization received more than $5 million in grant requests. It gave out 64 grants, including the grants to food shelves and the student writing contest.

Last year, the WCDA started giving to food shelves with its interest money. The amount given this year was doubled from last year.

The Albert Lea Salvation Army Food shelf, specifically, received almost $6,600.

Some of the student ideas that were awarded money were for Christmas lights on Main Street in Northwood, Iowa, and another to buy Christmas presents for the children of the workers being laid off at Cummins Filtration in Lake Mills, Iowa, to name a few.

Locally, the Harmony Junction Barbershop received $576 for new vests and ties.

The Lake Mills Ambulance Service received about $4,800 for a new Stairchair Pro purchase, and the Wells Historical Society received about $6,000 for the Wells Depot Museum.

In Worth County, grants were awarded to several cities and organizations for maintenance projects, building renovations, upgrades and other capital improvements.

The largest grant went to the city of Kensett in the amount of about $91,000 for the fourth phase of its community center.

Other large grants included one to the Bolan Schoolhouse and Cultural Center for about $83,000 for the Barton Schoolhouse Restoration, one to the city of Fertile for about $53,000 for its city complex project, and one to the city of Manly for about $52,000 for the Bosworth Park Shelter House.

Koenigs encouraged entities that were not awarded grants to reapply during the next grant round.

“We would have liked to give out more, but we ran out of funds,” she said.

For the first grant round each year, applications are available Jan. 1 and are due Feb. 15, with awards given out April 15.

For the second round, applications are available Aug. 1 and are due Sept. 15, with awards given out Nov. 15.

Grant recipients have one year from their awarded date to complete the projects. If not completed, all funds are required to be returned to the WCDA.

Information about the WCDA can be found at www.growworth.com.