STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Limelight Hotel Ketchum employees are now accepting grant applications on behalf of The Limelight Ketchum Community Fund in the Idaho Community Foundation.
Requests should focus on mental health, domestic abuse, education, and organizations whose work addresses those in crisis emotionally, physicallly or otherwise in the Wood River Valley.
The application deadline is Sept. 14, 2018.
Launched in the fall of 2016, the Limelight Ketchum Community Fund is dedicated to improving the quality of life for the Wood River Valley’s neediest people. The Fund is supported by employees of the Limelight Hotel Ketchum with additional support from hotel guests and the hotel itself.
It empowers Limelight Hotel Ketchum employees to take care of their co-workers and neighbors. Employees who have never before given away money are deeply engaged in the process, learning about issues impacting their neighbor’s quality of life. Long after an employee serves on the board, many will continue to play active roles in the organizations and issues they learned about during their service.
Average grants will be $6,000. The Fund may consider larger requests if proposals clearly demonstrate a unique opportunity to make significant impact on issues of critical importance to the Wood River Valley. Eligible recipients may be nonprofit (501 c3) organizations, schools or government agencies.
Applicants can request an electronic grant application, eligibility guidelines or more information from Matthew Hamilton at mhamilton@aspensnowmass.com. Completed applications should be emailed to Hamilton.
The Hotel awarded $30,000 in grants to nine Wood River Valley organizations in its first year.
Last years recipients included The Senior Connection, Girls on the Run, The Crisis Hotline, Hailey Public Libray, the Hospice and Palliative Care of the Wood River Valley and The Advocates.
Others included the Wood River High Schools climbing club to purchase safety gear, Flourish Foundations Mindful Awareness Program and Mountain Rides’ Bus Pass Scholarship Program.
More information is available at limelightketchumcommunityfund.org.