New funding stream open for Heart of Our City grants

By Jensen, Randy on May 2, 2020.

Tyler Hay

For The Herald

The City of Lethbridge’s Heart of our City Committee (HOC) is opening a new stream of grant funding to support virtual events. The new program is aimed at helping to support artists, events and businesses that have found creative ways to support downtown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We want to encourage this ingenuity and creativity and find ways we can still promote the downtown during these times. We also want to be flexible and accommodating with our partners who champion downtown and that’s what this new grant can do,” said Dawn Leite, chair of the HOC, in a release.

Each year, the HOC awards activity grants provide funding support to organizations delivering events that attract people, enhance vibrancy and create excitement in the downtown core. >The grants were awarded in January, but COVID-19 has impacted many of the planned events.

“We’ve had grant recipients reach out to us saying they want to modify what they had planned, given the situation as well as new inquiries around possibility of supporting new events or activities that will promote the downtown vibe,” said Leite.

The City said the new program will use activity grant funding available due to the cancellation or postponement of 2020 events. In January, the Heart of Our City Committee announced grant funding for 21 events to be held in downtown Lethbridge over the next year, totalling $126,000.

The maximum amount to be awarded through the new grant is $2,000 per event and grants greater than $500 require matching funding.

Applications will be reviewed on an on-going basis, and as funding is limited, all applications meeting the eligibility may not be supported, or may not receive the full requested amount.

The HOC said it is committed to the revitalization of downtown Lethbridge and will continue to support this work now and when the downtown reopens.

For more information on eligibility and available funding visit >http://www.lethbridge.ca/HOCActivityGrant.