The Rotary Club of Grand Bend has created a $100,000 fund to help teach children about the environment and to celebrate young people who are taking action to protect nature.
The fund began in 2023 when Rotarian Peter Warner donated his vintage car. The car was auctioned, and the money was set aside for environmental education. Since then, Rotarian Gord Britton and other community members have added more donations.
Kerry Teskey, chair of the club’s environment committee, says the fund comes at an important time. He says it is important to inspire children and youth to care for the natural world, and this fund will help support that for many years.
Money from the fund will be used in two main ways. Some will go toward awards for graduating high school students in the Grand Bend area who care about the environment and are planning to continue their education. The rest will support programs for younger children, created with help from the Huron Tract Land Trust and other local partners.
In its first year, the fund supported a student award and an outdoor learning program for parents and toddlers.
Teskey says he hopes more people will donate to the fund so it can grow and support even more projects in the future.
Anyone interested in applying for support can contact Teskey at kerryteskey@gmail.com