The Pokagon Fund announced Thursday that $307,506 in project funding was awarded in recent months.

“For the third year in a row, The Pokagon Fund is again supporting local schools, teachers and students by providing funding for school field trips,” Executive Director Mary Dunbar said. “We believe it is important to support educational experiences for our students and defray the cost of these trips for families.”

More than 50 field trips were paid for by The Pokagon Fund, totaling $62,023.

The projects that have received funding include:

·         $27,677 to New Buffalo Township for Rescue Equipment

·         $25,190 to New Buffalo Township for GIS Water System Mapping

·         $23,946 to River Valley School District for an electronic sign

·         $20,000 to New Buffalo Service League, for holiday support for the needy

·         $20,000 to Kaleidoscope Preschool for scholarships

·         $15,000 to Our Lady Queen of Peace, Bread of Life Food Pantry

·         $10,000 to Three Oaks Township Public Library for technology

·         $10,000 to St. Mary of the Lake School for Math textbooks

·         $10,000 to Junior Achievement for JA Works!

·         $8,000 to Toys for Tots for holiday support

·         $6,130 to River Valley School District for concession stand equipment

·         $5,000 to New Buffalo service League, for utility support for the needy

·         $2,100 to Miss Three Oaks Pageant, Pageant Expenses

·         $2,000 Three Oaks Rotary, Hat, Mitten and Winterwear Program

·         $940 to Miss New Buffalo Pageant, Pageant Expenses

·         $30,997 to New Buffalo Area Schools to support bus trips

·         $27,371 to River Valley School District to support bus trips

·         $3,655 to St. Mary of the Lake School to support bus trips

Ten percent of The Pokagon Fund’s grant awards supported areas where there was a Pokagon Band Land Trust Consolidation Site – areas surrounding Dowagiac and South Bend, Ind. The following projects were funded in those geographic regions:

·         $12,000 to multiple food pantries and meal sites in South Bend for support during the holidays

·         $10,000 to Stone Soup Advocacy Center for Project H2O, providing assistance for water bills to those in need

·         $10,000 to St. Margaret’s House for Building Healthy Families

·         $7,000 to Fischoff National Chamber Music Association for Elena’s Serenade, a concert held in the South Bend Community Schools

·         $5,000 to Food Bank of Northern Indiana for the Student Hunger Drive

·         $5,000 to the Potawatomi Zoo to develop new plans for potential bison and eagle exhibits

·         $5,000 to Reins of Life to purchase helmets, saddles and bridles

·         $3,000 to Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce for the Ice Time Festival

·         $2,500 to Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce for the Under the Harvest Moon Festival

The Pokagon Fund is a private foundation that is funded by 0.75% of the electronic gaming revenue from the Four Winds Casino Resort. For more information on past projects funded and funding guidelines, please visit www.pokagonfund.org.