Celebrating 10 years of the Molson Barrie Community Fund
Now that I’ve officially moved into my new role at Molson, I get to take part in a ton of great community relations initiatives across the country. The latest being quite local for me – Barrie, Ontario. Ever heard of the Molson Community Barrie Fund? Well, this year I’m helping to organize and also celebrate the 10th and final year of the Fund!
What is the Molson Barrie Community Fund (MBCF)?
The fund was created by Molson in 1999 to provide financial assistance to community groups in Barrie after the closing of the brewery. Since the first year, over $1.7 million has been invested in the community through at least 50 different programs and projects. Every year, we put out a call, looking for community projects that will make a difference in Barrie for years to come.
A Little History of Projects:
Going back through the 10 years, I thought I’d highlight a few donations to give you a feel for the type of projects we’ve funded. I’m new to the fund myself, so if anyone who lives/lived in Barrie has photos from these projects or stories to tell, I’d would love to see/hear them! From sports to environment to arts to health…here are just a few of the organizations and programs that the MBCF has worked with.
- 1999 Circle at the Centre Ice Rink – funds went to help build the rink
- 2000 MacLaren Arts Centre
- 2001 Sunningdale Park Trail
- 2002 $50,000 towards the expansion of the Barrie Campus Athletic Centre
- 2003 Barrie Folk Society – $5,000 for the society to purchase their own mixing board and PA system for their concerts
- 2003 Barrie Outdoor Performance Centre – $170,000 towards helping build the outdoor performance art centre
- 2004 Hospice Simcoe – $140,000 towards the build of a nurturing home for terminally ill citizens
- 2005 Barrie Soccer and Rugby Clubs – equipment, supplies
- 2006 Barrie Kempettes Gymnastics: $13,000 for a new spring floor
- 2007 Lovers Creek and Kidds Creek – over $80,000 towards the revitalization the creeks
Last year, the MBCF recipients were Gilda’s Club Barrie, Georgian College Foundation’s School of Hospitality and Tourism, Talk is Free Theatre, and the MacLaren Art Centre.
So now we’ve come to the final year of the fund and we’re looking for some more great organizations and projects. We plan to invest over $200,000 into the Barrie Community.
Got a project? Applications and requirements can be found at here http://www.molson.com/en/Community/CommunityFund.aspx. (Deadline is Feb. 15, 2009) Applications can be emailed to(tonia.hammer@molson.com) or mailed to me 33 Carlingview Dr. Toronto, ON M9W 5E4.
Let me know if you have any questions or want to chat.
Happy Wednesday,
Tonia
