The Hamilton College Town-Gown Fund made $58,600 in grants to 11 organizations last month, bringing the total disbursed from the endowment to more than $628,000.
“My colleagues and I on the Town-Gown Fund Committee take great pleasure in supporting the efforts of the non-profit and public-service organizations in our community,” said Hamilton President and Town-Gown Fund Committee Chair Joan Hinde Stewart. “Their work enriches our town and our village.”
This year, the Clinton Central School District received the largest grant: $24,000 for a Benchmark Reading Assessment System and a guided reading room. This award follows a $25,000 grant in 2014 to help create a language learning lab, and $22,000 in 2013 to implement common core standards in the district.
Other organizations receiving grants this year include the Kirkland Town Library, $11,500 to replace windows and convert lights to LEDs; the Clinton Central School Foundation, $6,000 to expand, renovate and market the Memorial Brick Garden; and the Clinton Fire Department, $5,000 for the training facility.
The Kirkland Art Center received $4,400 for exterior restoration, exhibition space repair and upgrades to the exterior sign; the Kirkland Police Department was awarded $3,500 for officer training; and the Clinton Youth Foundation was presented $3,000 for pool repairs and to construct a new can and bottle collection bin.
The Town-Gown Fund Committee also made small, unsolicited grants to four preschools in Clinton: the Clinton Early Learning Center, St. Mary’s Preschool, St. James Preschool and Clinton United Methodist Church Preschool.
The Hamilton College Town-Gown Fund was created in 2001 by anonymous donors to foster goodwill and communication among the college and residents of the Town of Kirkland and the Village of Clinton. Since its founding, the endowed fund has received more than $1 million in gifts. Each year, the income earned from investing those donations is used to make grants to organizations in the Town of Kirkland.
As stipulated in the agreement that established the Hamilton College Town-Gown Fund, grants can only be made to organizations and agencies serving the Town of Kirkland and the Village of Clinton, with a primary focus on education.
In addition to Stewart, members of the Town-Gown Committee include local businesspeople Fran Alteri of Alteri’s Restaurant, Corrine Gachowski ’81 of Krizia Martin, Oneida County legislator George Joseph of North Star Orchards and Deli Rogers of Owens-Pavlot & Rogers Funeral Service; Clinton Village Trustee Carrie Evans; Clinton Central Schools Superintendent Stephen Grimm; Hamilton Professor of French John O’Neal; Hamilton Point Investment Advisors President Andrew Burns ’78; and Hamilton College trustees Amy Owens Goodfriend ’82 and Jack Withiam ’71, P’16. Goodfriend and Burns are natives of Clinton.
Hamilton Vice President for Communications and Development Dick Tantillo and Assistant Vice President for Communications Mike Debraggio serve the committee as ex officio members. Donations to the fund can be made by contacting Tantillo or Debraggio.
