With the announcement of Spring Grants from the Community Foundation of Portage and District, several local organizations received boosts in their budgets.

Prairie Fusion Arts & Entertainment, the Portage Friendship Centre and Portage Junkyard Dogs among others received grants for various programs and projects.

Lorna Knight, Executive Director of Prairie Fusion Arts & Entertainment, shared what they received and where the funding will be going.

"We were the successful recipients of $15,000, and we are going to be using that money toward purchasing chairs that we're able to use in all areas of our facility, but mainly will be used in the William Glesby Theatre because we have a lot more events that are requiring table-and-chair service."

She notes that having lighter chairs which they can fit more around tables will help them increase capacity for their events as well.

Jeanna Emms, the Employment and Training Coordinator at the Friendship Centre, says they're grateful for the funding.

"We applied for a $10,000 grant for a regalia library. So, what that is, is keeping a library of various regalia in various sizes for our urban Indigenous people who would like to be able to provide that opportunity for their children, for their brothers, for themselves. It's for them to be able to participate in cultural events like the powwows they have in the area, or to take them (the regalia) home to their home community and participate at home."

Emms notes that traditional regalia is very expensive, and this will be a means for families to participate in cultural events without costing the family a fortune.

Gary Unger, the President of the Portage Junk Yard Dogs Cycling Club, spoke to what the $20,000 grant they received will be put towards.

"We're so grateful for the grant from the Community Foundation of Portage and District for giving us that money. That's a grant toward our Junk Yard Activity Park. This foundation is a key player for ensuring that non-profit organizations, such as ourselves, thrive in the Portage area. And for us, what that means is, Junk Yard Dogs has raised three quarters, maybe a little more, towards the total amount required to build the park, which is around a $700,000 venture."

In all, the foundation sent out in excess of $150,000 through spring grants.