The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) of the M&M Area Community Foundation has awarded grants totaling $32,395 for 16 local youth programs.  The grants were awarded on Thursday, May 22, at a reception held at the Best Western, Marinette.  Since the Youth Advisory Committee began awarding grants in 1997, they have given $172,000 to 91 different organizations within Marinette and Menominee Counties. 

Seven of the programs were fully funded.  They went to the Marinette County Land & Water Conservation Division, $250 for their 2008 Sand Lake Conservation Camp; Bay-Lakes Council, Boy Scouts of America, $2,500 for their Campership Program; CASA of Menominee County, $1,200 or their Books Kids Can Use Project; Spies Public Library, $1,000 for the Dewey Decimals and Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) program; The Menominee High School Physics Class, $400 for their Physics Field Trip for Engineering Olympics 2009; Healthy Youth Coalition of Marinette and Menominee Counties, $2,400 for their Middle School Teen Nights & Mentoring Program, and University of Wisconsin-Marinette Continuing Education Children’s Theatre, $3,000 the production of “James and the Giant Peach”.

Nine other programs were partially funded including: American Legion Baseball of Marinette, $1,500 for the Pedersen Park Grandstand Replacement Project; The Greater M&M YMCA, $1,500 for the Melody Hounds Program; The DAR Boys & Girls Club, $2,000 for their Summer Day Camp; The Main Resource, $4,000 for their Youth 4 Better Health Program; Menominee School District & Tri County Symphony Committee, $2,000 for their Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Educational Youth Concert; Garfield Elementary School, $2,250 for their Igniting a Passion to Learn Project; The Greater M&M YMCA, $3,895 for their Gliders Gymnastics Program; Peshtigo School District & Peshtigo Park and Recreation, $3,000 for their Badger Park Disc Golf Course, and Zion Lutheran Child Development Center, $1,500 for their Playground Expansion/Update Project.  The committee reserved some funds for its own initiative to adopt a local family in need of support.

Currently there are 12 YAC members from 5 local high schools.  Representing Menominee High School are Meghan Caley, Brooke Freiss, Casey Hoffman, Sarah Smith, Ashton Weigel and Melissa Wright.  Peshtigo High School students are Sara Anderson and Kellie Becker.  St. Thomas Aquinas Academy students are Sarah Bradford and Caitlin Sevener.  Representing Marinette High School is Kayla Mansur and Stephenson High School is Ellen Dupler. The YAC advisors are Cheryl Cadieu, Barb Killen and Judy Reid.

Seniors Ellen Dupler, Casey Hoffman, Sarah Smith & Ashton Weigel were honored by Dr. North Shetter, Foundation President, for their service to the Foundation.  With the loss of the seniors, new members will be needed.  YAC members and all friends of the Foundation are urged to encourage young people between the ages of 14 and 21 to consider joining the group as a way to give back to their communities.

For more information about the Youth Advisory Committee or to join, please contact the Foundation office at 906-864-3599.