Huron County Community Foundation

Amy Leitch, 11, of the Elkton Maple Rangers 4-H Club, showed a boer goat for the first year at the Huron Community Fair in 2007. The cages, partially funded by a grant from the Youth Advisory Committee of the Huron County Community Foundation, helped make show and judging much easier in 2007 for those with small animals.

Nicholas Pulaskey, from the Bad Axe Junior High, joins Sheriff Kent Tibbits and Tom Morneau, safety education director at the Huron County Sheriff Department, in checking out new displays for the Kids Against Drugs program. The Youth Advisory Committee of the Huron County Community Foundation helped make the new displays possible.

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Youth Advisory Committee awards grant money

The high school students from Huron County schools that comprise the Youth Advisory Committee of the Huron County Community Foundation awarded money to a number of projects and programs aimed at benefiting Huron County youth during the past year.

Projects and programs this grant round included those aimed at preserving basic needs, offering positive recreational opportunities, education for healthy life styles and avoidance of alcohol and drug use/abuse.

The Bad Axe Parks and Recreation Department received $2,000 toward a $30,000 playscape project in the Bad Axe City Park. The new playscape will replace a playscape that no longer was in compliance with accessibility guidelines. The new playscape, once completed, will offer children of various abilities the opportunity to interact and play.

The Huron County Homeless Coalition, the Huron County Sheriff%u2019s Department%u2019s Kids Against Drugs program, and the Elkton Summer Recreation program each received $500.

The Huron County Homeless Coalition, formed four years ago, works to prevent homelessness of families with children or homeless youth. The coalition has moved from providing off-site emergency housing by providing motel vouchers, to homeless prevention, through support with rent arrearage money.

The Huron County Sheriff Department%u2019s KAD program received money to update drug and alcohol displays. The program is aimed at drug and alcohol awareness so kids can identify dangerous and illegal and legal drugs. Participants watch videos and see what actual drugs look and smell like. They also receive a T-shirt at the end of the four day, one hour a day program.

The Elkton Summer Youth Recreation program is operated through the Huron Youth Center. It provides safe, supervised activities for 50-75 youths from ages 5-14 for five weeks during the summer. Children receive snacks and they enjoy organized games, activities %u2013 from playing dress up to relays and crafts - and guest speakers.

The Horizons School for those at academic risk, received money to participate in the BaySail program at the end of the 2006-2007 school year. The BaySail science program allows students to cruise and learn aboard the Appledore IV Schooner. The students had a hand in raising and lowering sails and participated in science experiments.

The Huron County Small Livestock Association is a new organization comprised of youths ages 9-19. Those youths may not have the resources to raise larger animals, but they still want to learn skills for a marketable 4-H or FFA project. The grant award funded 20 cages that were used to house and show rabbits and poultry at the Huron Community Fair. The cages offer future generations the opportunity to show their animals at the fair.