FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bethany Shirk
(785) 874-5106, foundation@nortonccf.org
Norton, Kansas, December 2023 – Norton County Community Foundation (NCCF) awarded $1,700 in the December grant cycle. Funds were part of the Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund, which offers financial support to qualifying and deserving projects and programs in Northwest Kansas. Grant funds supported the following projects:
K-State Research and Extension Twin Creeks District received $700 for their Radon Educational Program
USD 211 received $1,000 for EES 5th Grade Participation in Young AmeriTowne
K-State Research and Extension Twin Creeks District is planning a public meeting to educate Norton County citizens about radon - a colorless, odorless gas that is produced naturally in some soils and is prevalent in Kansas. The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in United State today. Radon Specialists from Kansas State University are encouraging all Kansas households be tested, as one in four homes in Kansas test at or above the EPA’s radon action level. Homes with elevated radon levels can install an ASD (Active Soil Depressurization) mitigation system. A Radon Specialist from Kansas State University will be in Norton to present the information, and home testing kits will be made available at the meeting. A meal will also be provided. Please contact K-State Research and Extension for more details.
Young AmeriTowne of Kansas is a program of Nex-Generation, Round Up for Youth Inc. It’s a four-to-six-weeks, financial literacy curriculum designed for 4th - 8th grades that teaches basic economics, banking, money management, government, communications, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and employment. The culmination of the classroom experience is a field trip to Young AmeriTowne® of Kansas in the former Lenora High School building, in Lenora, KS, where students-turned-citizens fill real-world roles as mayor, judge, police officers, mail carriers, managers, accountants, key employees, and volunteer fire fighters. Students spend their “paycheck” at all 10 shops (Bank, Towne Hall, Snack Shop, Container Shop, Sign & Print, Energy Resources, Newspaper, TV Station, YATK Radio, and Medical Center), as well as donate to local charities. Eisenhower Elementary School would like all 5th graders to participate in this program. Grant funds from NCCF will help cover the enrollment fees of the students for the next two years.
The guidelines and application for the Hansen Community Grant can be found on NCCF’s website at nortonccf.org. Applications are due the last day of the month to be considered for the next month’s funding. For more information, please contact Bethany Shirk at 785.874.5106, bethany@nortonccf.org, or visit the NCCF office at the Heaton Building in Downtown Norton, KS, located at 112 S. Kansas Street.
About Norton County Community Foundation
The Norton County Community Foundation was established in 1994 for the purpose of supporting local charitable activities in Norton County through endowments made to the foundation. Dedicated to serving today for tomorrow, to make our community a better place in which to live. Connect with the Norton County Community Foundation at www.nortonccf.org.
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