WELLMARK FOUNDATION AWARDS MORE THAN $144,000 IN SMALL MATCH GRANTS

DES MOINES, Iowa (Nov. 13, 2018) — The Wellmark Foundation has awarded seven South Dakota organizations Matching Assets to Community Health (MATCH) grants. Applicants were able to request up to $25,000 in grant funding. To ensure community support for the grant projects, recipients were challenged to match this grant at 50 percent. Each of the grant recipients submitted projects that will help individuals, families and communities achieve better health through built environment initiatives that encourage physical activity and/ or access to and consumption of nutritious foods.

“The Wellmark Foundation is proud to support organizations that have identified sustainable initiatives that provide opportunities for citizens to improve their overall well-being,” said Becky Wampler Bland, The Wellmark Foundation executive director. “The longevity of these projects will continue to pay dividends years after the initial investment.”

Among the seven South Dakota organizations that were selected to receive a 2018 Small MATCH grant from The Wellmark Foundation included:

City of Wagner, $11,000

Wagner disc golf park

The city of Wagner will be creating a new disc golf course within a well-established park. The course will be accessible to all residents. It will provide an excellent opportunity for people of all ages to participate in the sport of disc golf.

Since 2011, The Wellmark Foundation has provided more than $9 million in grant funding to communities across Iowa and South Dakota. Visit The Wellmark Foundation website to learn more about the 2019 grant opportunities, which will be posted in late December.