Sioux City Times

The Wellmark Foundation has provided 21 Iowa organizations with their Matching Assets to Community Health (MATCH) grant awards. These organizations were notified in May of their pending awards and had 16 weeks to secure the required matching funds. All the funded projects will help individuals, families and communities achieve better health through built environment initiatives that encourage physical activity or provide access to healthy foods.

“We know the neighborhoods people live in have a major impact on their health and well-being,” said Mary Lawyer, The Wellmark Foundation executive director. “That is why we are proud to award a total of $1,682,650 to these 21 Iowa organizations. Each of these projects provides an opportunity for residents to be active where they live, work, learn and play, or ensures access to healthy foods.”

Since its inception in 1991, The Wellmark Foundation has awarded nearly $58 million in grant and special project funding to initiatives that positively impact the well-being of Iowans and South Dakotans.

The 21 Iowa organizations awarded a Wellmark Foundation MATCH grant include:

Carroll County Conservation Board, $100,000 Sauk Rail Trail Resurfacing – Swan Lake to Maple River (Carroll)	Davis County Trails Council, $100,000 Davis County Trail System – Phase 4A (Bloomfield)
Casey Service Club, Inc., $100,000 Abram Rutt Park Trail (Casey)	Friends of Eldora Parks and Recreation, $42,650 Park Street Corridor Improvement Project (Eldora)
Cherokee Community Foundation, $75,000 Cherokee Skate/BMX/Scooter Park (Cherokee)	Friends of Lacey–Keosauqua State Park, $100,000 Campground to Bath House Trail (Keosauqua)
City of Afton, $65,000 Trail Extension to Rec Complex (Afton)	Jasper County Conservation, $100,000 Red Rock Prairie Trail (Mitchellville, Monroe and Prairie City)
City of Burlington, $100,000 Dankwardt Park Playground Project (Burlington)	Lake View Foundation, $49,866 Pickleball Courts (Lake View)
City of Laurens, $100,000 The Laurens Pool Project (Laurens)	Nahant Marsh Education Center, $100,000 Nahant Marsh Connector Trail Project (Davenport)
City of Lenox, $100,000 Recreational Trail Extension — Phase I & II (Lenox)	Polk County Conservation, $100,000 Easter Lake North Shore Capital Campaign (Des Moines)
City of Marcus, $100,000 Marcus Trail Plan — Phase I (Marcus)	The Cedar Falls Schools Foundation, $100,000 Communiy Natatorium (Cedar Falls)
City of Sioux City, $100,000 Cone Mountain Bike Park (Sioux City)	WesleyLife Community Services, Inc., $100,000 So Much More than Meals Capital Campaign (Des Moines)
City of West Burlington, $100,000 Gear Avenue Trail Expansion — Phase II (West Burlington)	YMCA of Washington County, $100,000 Indoor Aquatic Center Project (Washington)
City of Winterset, $100,000 Winterset All-Inclusive Playground (Winterset)

To learn more about these projects, visit Wellmark.com/Foundation.

About The Wellmark Foundation

The Wellmark Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created by Wellmark, Inc., doing business as Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa. Please visit The Wellmark Foundation's website at Wellmark.com/foundation to learn more about our grant program, as well as a list of previous grant recipients. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and The Wellmark Foundation are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Original source can be found here.