NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 2008HSD0043-001257 Aug. 20, 2008	Ministry of Housing and Social Development
$145 MILLION IN GAMING GRANTS DISTRIBUTED IN 2007/08

VICTORIA – The B.C. Paraplegic Foundation, Chilliwack 4-H, the Fort St. John Métis Society, the Okanagan Symphony Society and the Victoria West Lawn Bowling Club are just some of the 5,800 community organizations who shared more than $145 million worth of gaming grants in the 2007/08 fiscal year, announced Rich Coleman, Minister of Housing and Social Development.

 

            “Communities organizations and Parent Advisory Councils right across British Columbia – from Abbotsford to Wynndel – directly benefit from provincial gaming grants,” said Coleman. “These grants are an important tool in assisting and supporting volunteers whose tireless efforts on behalf of Parent Advisory Councils and non-profit groups and organizations make B.C. a better place to live. Since 2001, more than $930 million in gaming grants have gone to help local community organizations.”

 

            Gaming grants are made available to eligible non-profit community organizations and Parent Advisory Councils (PAC) and District Parent Advisory Councils (DPAC). In total, over 5,800 community organizations shared $145,202,595 in direct access, bingo affiliation and bingo association grants from the 2007/08 fiscal year.

 

            A local community organization may receive a maximum of $100,000 each year while a provincewide organization can receive upwards of $250,000. Funds must be used to support the direct delivery of a program that benefits the broader community and the program must be related to arts, culture and sport; the environment; human and social services; or public safety.

 

Grants for PACs have a set rate of $20 per student and are used to enhance extracurricular activities. DPAC grants are worth $2,500. Funding from these grants remains under the management and control of the PAC or DPAC that receives them.

 

Applications for public safety and environment programs are being accepted until Aug. 31, 2008, and the deadline for human and social services initiatives is Nov. 30, 2008.

 

Community organizations who wish to apply in the arts, culture and sport category have from Feb. 1 to May 31, 2009, while PAC and DPAC applications for the 2009/10 school year will take place from April 1 to June 30, 2009.

 

 

            For a complete list of grant recipients, application forms and deadlines, reports and other information pertaining to gaming grants and gaming information and services, please visit www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/gaming/revenue/index.htm#four.

 

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Media contact:	Paul Woolley Communications Director 250 387-6489
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