Galvan Foundation awards first round of grants

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HUDSON–The Galvan Initiatives Foundation awarded its first round of grants Monday, in a gathering attended by recipients and others in the community room of the Central Station Firehouse.

In this round the Foundation gave $117,250 to 16 groups providing services to the Hudson community in 6 Foundation initiatives.

T. Eric Galloway and Henry van Ameringen, the names behind Galvan and the men who provide the Foundation funds, did not attend. County Supervisor Rick Scalera (D-5th Ward), special advisor to the foundation, and Tom Swope, executive director of GIF, did the honors, and almost all the recipients accepted their checks in person, expressed heartfelt thanks to GIF and said a few words about their organization and its goals.

*Education: Perfect 10, $40,000, the second installment of $80,000 supporting programs for at-risk girls from Hudson; Time & Space Ltd, $10,000, general support for year-round youth programs (instructors, space, supplies); Operation Unite, $5,000 for general support for after-school arts programs; Hudson City School District (HCSD), $3,000 to purchase band instruments and supplies; Hud City Group, $3,000 for Hudson Promise Neighborhood Day July 28 (promoting community togetherness, awareness, education).

Speaking for Perfect 10, which received the largest grant, founder Paula Forman said the organization now serves 30 girls 5th grade and up year-round and is looking to expand to the 3rd and 4th grades. The group had just spent its second annual week at camp in the Adirondacks, which for many of the girls is the first time they have been outside of Hudson, and “this year even I had fun,” said Ms. Forman.

Speaking for the HCSD band, Scott Vorwald said the band had grown from 20 students to 180, and the grant would allow him to repair old instruments and buy new ones and supplies like reeds.

*Economic Opportunity: Hudson Elks Flag Day Committee, $5,000, Silver Level sponsorship of the 2012 Flag Day parade.

*Historic Preservation: State Street AME Zion Church, $1,000 to support ongoing renovations.

*Health and Services: Columbia-Greene Hospital Foundation, $15,000 to establish a comprehensive art therapy program for local children who are the victims of abuse and extreme neglect; Hudson City School District Booster Club, $10,000 for modified sports, music and art programs; American Cancer Society Cure Team, $1,500 to support groups raising funds for local cancer patients; Rage Softball, $750 toward the girls’ team traveling costs.

Speaking for the art therapy program, Penny Calyer, child advocate, said the grant would go toward additional staff, including an art therapist. “We’re able to launch the art therapy program only because we got a grant from the Galvan Foundation,” Betsy Gramkow, Hospital Foundation executive director, told The Columbia Paper.

*Tolerance and Community: Hudson Pride Foundation, $5,000 in general support of the 2012 Pride Parade; Bangladeshi Cultural Fair, $3,000 toward the second annual event introducing a minority that has lived in Hudson for 20 years.

*Arts and Culture: Stageworks Hudson, $5,000 to support regional marketing for the 2012 season, which features artistically and intellectually challenging work; Hudson Music Festival, $5,000 in general support; Columbia County Sons and Daughters of Italy #659, $5,000 for four bocce courts, rest rooms and a kitchen.

Speaking for the Hudson Music Festival, co-director Chad Weckler noted that this year’s festival, August 10-12, would present some 200 musicians throughout the city, all of whom could now be paid a small stipend.

“This is only the beginning,” said Mr. Scalera. Additional grants will be given later this year, as soon as September. For that review, applications are due August 1. The foundation generally awards single-year grants in the range of $5,000 to $50,000. Applications and information can be found at galvanfoundation.org.

 

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