Casino nonprofit awards over $1M
Published 9:43 am Monday, November 18, 2013
NORTHWOOD — Northwood firefighters will be able to purchase new protective equipment thanks to a $103,000 grant awarded by the Worth County Development Authority.
The grant was one of about three dozen totaling more than $1 million handed out during the WCDA’s fall grant round, according to a news release sent out Friday.
The largest grant went to the city of Fertile for $204,000 for an addition to the city’s library.
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 are given out annually.
Other large grants given were the following:
• $100,000 for water treatment in Joice.
• $96,422 for a new playground for Worth County Conservation.
• $84,275 for a new maintenance shed in Grafton.
• $77,852 for a water treatment backwash tank in Manly.
• $58,000 for a new roof at Bethany Lutheran Church in Kensett.
• $43,990 for a sculpture project through Worth County Beautification.
• 28,265 for new signage at the Manly Public Library.
• $24,485 for a new public works truck in Kensett.
• $22,217 for new siding for the Stomstein Building through the Worth County Historical Society.
Twenty-four other entities benefited from grants under $20,000 each.
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.