Bath Community Fund announces grants totaling $26,250
Grants support capital improvement projects at local parks, theaters, farms
On Friday, Dec. 7, Bath Community Fund of Akron Community Foundation announced its fourth round of grants to support nonprofit organizations serving Bath Township. Grants totaling $26,250 were awarded to 12 local nonprofits, bringing the fund's cumulative grantmaking total to nearly $75,000 since it was established five years ago.
Created in 2014 by a group of committed Bath residents, Bath Community Fund is a permanent endowment that supports programs that preserve Bath's historical and environmental legacy, enhance the local arts and culture landscape, serve youth through education and recreation, and meet residents' social service needs.
Several of this year's grants will support capital improvement projects in the Bath community, including a $4,500 grant to Western Reserve Historical Society to create an orientation space inside the new Gatehouse Welcome Center at Hale Farm & Village. The interpretive space will educate visitors about the history of the Hale family farm and its journey of becoming a living history museum.
"This space will tell the story of the Hale family and their settling of the original 500-acre farm in Bath," said Jason Klein, director of Hale Farm & Village. "It will be the starting point for our guests, providing them with a deeper understanding of the history of the Western Reserve and this historic village."
This is the third year Bath Community Fund has supported capital projects at Hale Farm & Village. Previous grants supported the creation of the Gatehouse Welcome Center and resurfaced walking paths in the Goldsmith Garden.
"Hale Farm is one of our community's most treasured resources," said Mary Anne Krejci, chair of BCF's Grant Committee. "Bath Community Fund is proud to support projects that preserve the history of this museum and make it accessible to visitors of all ages."
Other grants awarded this year will support the construction of an outdoor classroom at Crown Point Ecology Center, provide oral health education to third graders at Bath Elementary School, and fund wellness services for Bath residents on a cancer journey, among other initiatives.
The following is a full list of grants awarded in 2019:
Apollo's Fire, the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra, to provide free and discounted concert tickets for students and senior citizens in Bath Township, $1,200
Bath Park Board, to support the construction of an additional restroom at Bath Community Park, $3,500
Bath Township, for landscaping at the Heritage Corridors of Bath Wayside Exhibit, $1,000
Bath Volunteers for Service, to support digital marketing and community outreach efforts for the 2020 Bath Tour of Distinctive Homes, $1,000
Crown Point Ecology Center, to build an outdoor classroom for environmental workshops and youth education programs, $3,500
Embracing Futures, to support an oral health education program for third graders at Bath Elementary School, $900
Revere High School PTSA, to support the BREATHE Initiative, which provides stress-management tools for students and staff at Revere High School and Revere Middle School, $1,000
Stewart's Caring Place, to provide support services for Bath residents on a cancer journey, $2,000
University of Akron Field Station, to create a bird identification guidebook for students and visitors of the Bath Nature Preserve, $3,850
Victory Gallop, to support three annual horse shows, where children with special needs and life-threatening illnesses can demonstrate their riding skills, receive recognition for their accomplishments, and practice good sportsmanship, $1,800
Western Reserve Historical Society, to create an orientation space in the new Gatehouse Welcome Center at Hale Farm & Village that educates visitors about the museum's history, $4,500
Western Reserve Playhouse, to build a new basement entryway to improve access to the theater's acting classroom, $2,000
Grant History
Since it was established in 2014, Bath Community Fund has invested nearly $80,000 into local causes that enrich the quality of life for all Bath residents.