Submitted by The San Juan Island Community Foundation

The community foundation was once again gratified by the amazing generosity of islanders last week at the 2016 San Juan County Fair, when over $28,000 was donated to eight different projects featured in the matching program. This amount was raised in just the four days of the Fair!

The foundation, in turn, will match those donations 50 cents on every dollar raised until each project goal is met, thereby allowing $40,000 to be granted to the following projects:

• Animal Protection Society’s New Animal Shelter.

• SJICF Women’s Fund Membership Drive.

• Family Resource Center’s Emergency Rental Assistance.

• Family Resource Center’s Island Neighbors.

• Friday Harbor Elementary School’s Inquisitive Children Succeed.

• Island Oil Spill Association’s Improved Oil Spill Response Time.

• San Juan Historical Museum’s Protection for Vintage Thresher.

• San Juan County’s Derelict Vessel Prevention.

At the conclusion of the 2016 San Juan County Fair, seven-year-old Ava Bnnett from Lopez Island reached into the glass jar that held names of all 98 contributors at the Community Foundation’s booth – and drew out the name of Louise Dustrude. That gave Louise the opportunity to select the nonprofit beneficiary of a bonus $1,000 from the Foundation. She chose the Family Resource Center’s Emergency Rental Assistance Project to be the lucky recipient.

The community foundation extends its deepest gratitude to all who made this annual event so enjoyable – and so successful. Thank you!

The San Juan Island Community Foundation serves as a nonprofit philanthropic umbrella organization helping donors, nonprofits and public organizations achieve their goals through direct grants, organizational assistance and philanthropic resource management. For info about the community foundation, call 378-1001, write to PO Box 1352, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 or, visit the office located at 640 Mullis St., Suite 104, Friday Harbor, WA.