Twelve organizations in the Town of Kirkland have received a share of $70,000 from the Hamilton College Town-Gown Fund.
The awards range from a $12,500 grant to the Clinton Central School Foundation for support of the school district’s implementation of Project Lead the Way to $500 grants to three area preschools. The Town-Gown Fund has now invested more than $763,000 in the Clinton community since 2001.
“The Hamilton College Town-Gown Fund is an important vehicle through which the College demonstrates its support for the village and the town,” said Hamilton President and Town-Gown Fund Committee Chair David Wippman. “We are delighted to support the local non-profit, public safety, and educational organizations that make Clinton such a desirable community to live and work.”
Here is a complete list of this year's grants:
- $12,500 grant to the Clinton Central School Foundation for support of the school district’s implementation of Project Lead the Way;
- $12,000 grant was presented to the Clinton Central School District to purchase digital media production equipment and to create an Observation Beehive Lab;
- $11,000 grant for promotion of Thank You Albert Prettyman” hockey centennial weekend in February;
- $8,000 to the Kirkland Police Department for officer training and to purchase four solar-powered flashing lights for pedestrian safety in the school zone;
- $6,300 to the Clinton Early Learning Center to create an outdoor learning space; $5,200 to the Clinton Youth Foundation to construct a pavilion at the Boynton Pool;
- $5,000 to the Kirkland Art Center for renovation projects;
- $4,500 to the Kirkland Town Library to improve acoustics in the Bristol Room and to add materials to the collection in conjunction with the hockey centennial;
- $4,000 to the Clinton Historical Society to update the media collection to digital formats;
- $500 grant to St. Mary's Preschool;
- $500 grant to St. James' Preschool; and
- $500 grant to Clinton United Methodist Church Preschool.
The Town-Gown Fund was created in 2001 by anonymous donors to foster goodwill and communication among the College and residents of the Town of Kirkland and the Village of Clinton. Since its founding, the endowed fund has received more than $1 million in gifts. Each year, the income earned from investing those donations is used to make grants to organizations in the Town of Kirkland.
As stipulated in the agreement that established the Town-Gown Fund, grants can only be made to organizations and agencies serving the Town of Kirkland and the Village of Clinton, with a primary focus on education.
In addition to Wippman, members of the Town-Gown Committee include local business owners Fran Alteri of Alteri’s Restaurant, Corrine Gachowski ’81 of Krizia Martin, Oneida County legislator George Joseph of North Star Orchards and Deli Rogers of Owens-Pavlot & Rogers Funeral Service; Clinton Village Trustee Carrie Evans; Clinton Central Schools Superintendent Stephen Grimm; Hamilton Associate Professor of Psychology Tara McKee; Hamilton Point Investment Advisors President Andrew Burns ’78; and Hamilton College trustees Amy Owens Goodfriend ’82 and Jack Withiam ’71, P’16,’20. Goodfriend and Burns are natives of Clinton.
Hamilton Senior Philanthropy Advisor Dick Tantillo and Associate Vice President for Communications Mike Debraggio serve the committee as ex officio members. Donations to the fund can be made by contacting Tantillo or Debraggio.
