Valspar, Minnesota Initiative Foundations Support Community Restoration Projects

Minneapolis-based Valspar Corporation and the six Minnesota Initiative Foundations (MIFs) have supported community restoration and beautification projects throughout the state through the 2004 Minnesota Beautiful "Picture-It-Painted" Program. The collaborative program has awarded free paint and coatings to 76 organizations this year.

"We're very pleased to help sponsor this program for another year," said John Ostrem, president of Northwest Minnesota Foundation, Bemidji, one of the six MIFs involved in the program. "These community beautification projects really add significant social and cultural value to places throughout our region."

"Valspar was very impressed with the quality of the proposals that were submitted again this year," said Gwen Leifeld, administrator of the Valspar Foundation. "Although we couldn't help every applicant, the projects we did select will have positive impact on the visual character of several communities in the region."

Recipients of the 2004 "Picture-It-Painted" awards, and their associated MIFs, are:

Initiative Foundation, Little Falls:

• Dream Center, St. Cloud.
• Girl Scouts-Land of Lakes Council, Waite Park.
• Great River Arts Association, Little Falls.
• Hallett Community Center, Crosby.
• Housing Coalition of the St. Cloud Area.
• Journey Home Halfway House, St. Cloud.
• Melrose Area Historical Society.
• Mille Lacs Academy, Onamia.
• Minnesota Pioneer Park, Annandale.
• Oasis Share-A-Meal/Community Paint-A-Thon, Little Falls.
• Onamia Area Senior Citizens.
• Partners for a Healthy Wadena Region.
• St. Cloud Area Family YMCA.
• Town of Daggett Brook 4-H Club, Brainerd.

Northland Foundation, Duluth:

• Chisholm KIDS PLUS, Chisholm.
• CHUM Center, Duluth. Citizens for Backus, International Falls.
• City of Orr. 
• Cotton PTSO, Cotton.
• Girl Scouts Land of Lakes Council, Hibbing.
• Historic Comet Theater, Cook.
• International Falls Community Education.
• Lakeside-Lester Park Community Club, Duluth.
• Neighborhood Housing Services, Duluth.
• Nelimark Home, Embarrass.
• Mesabi Family YMCA, Virginia.
• Valley Youth Center, Duluth.
• YWCA of Duluth.

Northwest Minnesota Foundation, Bemidji:

• Bemidji Community Arts Council.
• Boys & Girls Club of Bemidji.
• Buena Vista Logging Heritage Museum, Bemidji.
• Caribou 4-H Club, Lancaster.
• City of Hendrum and Hendrum Park Board.
• Clearwater County Historical Society, Bagley.
• Fosston Arts Center Building, Fosston.
• Hubbard County D.A.C., Park Rapids.
• Middle River Community Theatre, Middle River.
• Naytahwaush Community Center.
• Park Rapids Area Library, Park Rapids.
• Pelan Pioneer Park, Greenbush.
• Roseau Pioneer Farm & Village, Roseau.

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Owatonna:

• Betsy-Tacy Society, Mankato.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Steele and Dodge Counties.
• Blue Earth Community Library, Blue Earth County.
• Blue Earth Senior Center, Blue Earth County.
• Fairmont Opera House, Fairmont.
• Faribault County Historical Society.
• La Crescent-Hokah Community Education, La Crescent.
• Lifeworks, Mankato.
• Minnesota Agricultural Interpretive Center, Waseca.
• Northfield Downtown Development Corporation, Northfield.
• St. James Opera House, St. James.

Southwest Minnesota Foundation, Hutchinson:

• Atwater Threshing Show, Atwater.
• Business, Arts & Recreation Center (BARC), Windom.
• Blue Mound Area Theater, Luverne.
• Fort Belmont, Jackson.
• Grove Mill Restoration, Grove City.
• Harrington/Merrill House, Hutchinson.
• Heritage Village, Mountain Lake.
• Kandiyohi County Historical Center Buildings, Willmar.
• Mountain Lake Community Center, Mountain Lake.
• Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center, Kandiyohi County.
• Services Enterprises, Redwood Falls.
• Volstead House, Granite Falls.

West Central Initiative, Fergus Falls:

• Big Elbow Lake Area Community Council, Big Elbow Lake.
• Camp Fire USA Northern Star Council, Vergas.
• Centro Cultural, Moorhead.
• Churches United for the Homeless, Moorhead.
• City of Hitterdal.
• Hitterdal Senior Citizen Club, Hitterdal.
• Otter Tail/Wadena Community Action Council, New York Mills.
• Perham Area Community Center, Perham.
• Runestone Museum Foundation, Alexandria.
• Rural Enrichment and Counseling Headquarters, Hawley.
• Spruce Hill Foundation, Miltona.
• West Central Minnesota Communities Action, Elbow Lake.

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