Apex Clean Energy is pleased to announce three local groups as the recipients of the latest round of Brouilletts Creek Solar community grants - the South Vermillion Middle School (SVMS) Robotics Team, Friends of Ernie Pyle, and Town of Fairview Park.
The Community Grant program was launched in 2022 to support local organizations focused on improving our community in the following areas: Health & Recreation, Economic Development, Environmental Sustainability, and Education. Since its launch, the program has provided nearly $40,000 in grants to 14 worthy community causes.
A grant to the SVMS Robotics Team will support the team to purchase missing parts for the robotics program. “The South Vermillion Robotics Team is looking to take a step in a bigger direction. While attending competitions, we have noticed teams building with larger parts and specific pieces that we do not have available in our supplies. These larger materials simulate industrial-like parts and thus, would provide a more realistic build experience for our students. The funding will allow the team to purchase these materials as well as the game challenge for the next competition season,” said Maria Sellers, SVMS Robotics Team Coach.
Sellers continued, “The South Vermillion Middle School Robotics Team has been meeting for two years. Students who wish to be on the team must demonstrate a willingness to work with others, solve problems, accept failure, and value growth. These students are preparing for the future as our world needs new innovators, thinkers, and problem-solving leaders. The industry realm already needs double the number of qualified workers to fill open STEM positions and that gap will only increase. Industry leaders, governments, educators, and parents are all searching for solutions and our students will hopefully become the solution creators for tomorrow!”
Also receiving grant funding is The Friends of Ernie Pyle, a charitable, non-profit organization created to preserve the legacy of the Pulitzer Prize-winning World War II Correspondent Ernie Pyle and the generation that he covered as a reporter. The organization operates the World War II Museum in Dana, IN. The museum includes the Elder-Pyle farmhouse, which is the birth home of Pyle, and two Quonset huts that chronicle Pyle's work as a war correspondent and shine a light on local veterans of World War II and the community's support of the war effort.
Steve Key, President of the Friends of Ernie Pyle Development Fund, said "The Friends of Ernie Pyle greatly appreciate the support of Apex Clean Energy in our effort to improve the visitor experience to the Ernie Pyle World War II Museum. The donation helps provide permanent, ADA-accessible restrooms. The restrooms are one phase of an Ernie Pyle & Veterans Memorial Park that eventually call for a performance stage, landscaping and gardens, a display of Armed Services flags, and statue of the famed war correspondent who told the stories of the common soldier."
The Town of Fairview Park will receive a grant award to support the purchasing and application of pickleball court paint. Funds raised for phase two of the project will also help purchase nets, posts, and sleeves and the cost associated with installing those items.
“We are so grateful to be awarded the Brouilletts Creek Solar Community Grant from Apex Clean Energy," said Project organizer Angie Riggen. "This grant was the final push we needed to reach our fundraising goal within our project timeline. We are so excited to finish the pickleball courts in Fairview Park and look forward to a summer full of pickleball! My hope is that the new pickleball courts provide our citizens with the opportunity to make connections with their neighbors. With the central location of the courts, this one addition has the potential to revitalize the entire park and create a hub for family fun and wellness. We appreciate Apex Clean Energy and their investment in our community.”
Development Manager Meagan Van Vuren of Apex Clean Energy shared, “The goal of the Community Grant Program is to fund projects and programs that benefit the whole community. We’re thrilled to support these amazing organizations and the dedicated community leaders who are bringing these projects to life.”
Brouilletts Creek Solar’s ongoing commitment is to be a strong community partner to the residents, businesses, and community organizations working to improve Vermillion County. The program will continue to support pressing community needs and local organizations making a meaningful impact. To learn more or apply for a future grant, visit www.brouillettscreeksolar.com/grant.