Area schools benefit from Lake Ashton grants
PHOTO BY MARY CANNADAY
There were lots of happy faces among principals, teachers and vice-principals by the time all the educational grants were awarded at Lake Ashton Monday morning. Posing for a photo after receiving grants are (l-r) front: April Barnhart, Ruby Kaufmann, Gail Quam, Micky Caban, Barbara Jones, and Joanne LaChance. Rear (l-r) Deborah Stewart, Bob Howardson, Lisa Myers, JoEllyn Cullier, Darla Fenley and Ray Cruze. Howardson is a resident of Lake Ashton, the community that funded the grants.
Students in Winter Haven and Lake Wales will benefit from a number of grants awarded Monday at the Lake Ashton community. Over $45,000 in cash and $5,000 in gift items were divided among nine schools, who in the words of presenter Sandy Poe, “Think beyond the box.”
In the eight years Lake Ashton has been fund-raising for education, they’ve awarded grants totalling $128,628. A major fund-raiser each year is the Casino Night and Silent Auction sponsored by the Lake Ashton RV Community Benefit Association. Student musicians also contribute to the fund-raising through performances at Lake Ashton, and area businesses and individuals contribute needed items, such as golf carts, as well as cash.
