11th Round Bloom Where You Are Planted Grants Distributed

11th Round Bloom Where You Are Planted Grants Distributed

The District 51 Foundation is pleased to announce the distribution of the 11th Round of Bloom Where You Are Planted Grants. This grant provides K-12 students with financial need the support to allow them to pursue extracurricular activities. Since 2020, approximately $32,000 has been granted to 369 children.

Students and parents applied for the grant via a portal on the D51 Foundation website. Typical grants range from $50-$200. The grant was open to children in grades K-12 in Mesa County. In this round, 28 students received funding that totaled over $2,600. Some of the extracurricular activity grants funded in this round were to Absolute Dance, Outdoor Wilderness Lab, Powderhorn Mountain Resort, and the Fruita Rec Center. The grant fund will open up again in February with a deadline of April 15, 2025.

“With every round of funds that we award to young people in our valley, we hear back about the difference even a small bit of money can make in helping a child to build confidence and their strengths, to explore ideas and creativity, and to redevelop communication and teamwork skills that have been lost in the past couple of years. We are blessed as the Bloom family to be able to continue to help raise and provide funds for extracurricular activities for students who need help paying for activities. With the continued generous support from our community, we hope to keep this fund going for years to come.,” said Theresa Bloom, wife of the late Karl Bloom. This grant fund was created by the family of Karl Bloom who passed away in February of 2020. Karl’s life was an example to so many people about how to give back to your community. He was a dedicated local volunteer in Scouting, HOSA, and a band parent.

This year in addition to highlighting the grants, we are also seeking donations to continue to fund Bloom Where You Are Planted. As part of the D51F’s funding priority of Student and Staff Wellness, the fund received $6,000 this year designated from the D51 Foundation’s budget.

“Bloom Where You Are Planted grants are the most sought-after grants within the D51 Foundation’s grant program. With each round, D51F sees an increase in applications from students and families wanting to participate in extracurricular activities. Our generous community of donors makes these grant awards possible. We hope to increase the reach of this program through donations to the Bloom Where You Are Planted Fund at the D51 Foundation,” adds Andreya Krieves, School District 51 Foundation Assistant Executive Director.

For more information about the School District 51 Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.d51foundation.org.