The Winkler Community Foundation handed out over $59,000 in grants this week.

WCF Executive Director Myra Peters notes priority was given to projects that support young people, families and seniors. However, she explains each year they receive more requests than they can grant.

"We can't even begin to meet the requests that are out there," she says, adding they received 24 applications for grants this year, totalling over $300,000 in requested funding.

However, Peters says the community donations continues to grow, allowing WCF to inject more dollars into local organizations.

"This is just the pure fun part of what we do," Peters says.

Gateway Resources received the largest grant, $27,383 for bus upgrades. CEO Kim Nelson says they use the busses for transport to get participants to work, "it's something we require on a daily basis," she says.

Another recipient, JR Walkof School Parent Advisory Council (PAC), was awarded $2,000 for a new play structure. Teacher Cyndie Wiebe explains their current structure needs to be replaced due to safety concerns "it needs to be dismantled." Together with PAC they hope to create a natural play space that is wheelchair accessible.

However, Wiebe says JR Walkof's iconic twirl slide will be preserved with the help of a local welder, "we wanted to communicate we can reuse things, we don't have to throw everything away."

The 2018 WCF grant recipients

The 2018 grants include:

Habitat Manitoba Build safe and affordable home in $ 5,000
JR Walkof School PAC Play Structure $ 2,000
Pembina Counselling Centre New office renovations in Winkler $ 2,500
Pregnancy Care Centre Meeting Room Furniture $ 1,500
Pembina Thresherman’s Museum Walk-in Refrigerator repair $ 2,000
Winkler Festival of the Arts Music Scholarships $ 500
Winkler Heritage Society Storage supplies $ 500
Winkler Senior Centre Additional stove $ 1,000

2014 Manitoba Winter Games Winkler Recreation, Culture & Tourism: $ 2,682
Dr. CW Wiebe Medical Fund Dr CW Wiebe Medical Centre: $ 6,764
Darlene Peters Fund Central Station: THRIVE course $ 2,600

Gateway Resources Fund Gateway: Bus Upgrade $27,383
Katie Cares Fund Katie Cares Foundation: Operations $ 3,591
Kalansky Family Fund Winkler Adult & Teen Challenge $ 631
Winkler Fire Rescue Fund Paramedic Training for current $ 463