Pictured in front from left are Jenny Shear, Mentone leveled library; Elizabeth VanMeter and Samantha Hamilton, TVHS Young Entrepreneurs; and Lindsay Smith, TVHS Special Needs Prom. In back are Darren Parker, Mill Creek Missionary Church; Bryston Canada and Andy DeVries, Paw Print Park; and Inga Omondi, Akron Elementary Choice Time. (Photo by Amanda McFarland)

AKRON — Six area agencies were awarded grant funding Tuesday evening, April 19, during the annual Valley Hometown Fund grant making event.

Representatives of the various entities went before the Valley Hometown Advisory Board at the Akron Community Center to make their case for why their individual programs should receive funding.

Jeff Shriver gave a presentation on a previous recipient, the Prill School organization, which used the funds to establish Pioneer Days for Akron and Mentone Elementary fourth- and fifth-graders and to put  anew roof on the building.

Jenny Shear, reading interventionist for the Mentone Elementary School leveled library, requesting $1,392 for children’s books that are level A, B and C. While there are many children’s books available, she said, the need is for books that are relatable, yet engage students with new vocabulary words they can use.

Lead Pastor Chris Beal of Mill Creek Missionary Church requested $6,000 to launch a second Miracle Tree program during the holiday season. The church has done a Miracle Tree in Rochester for years, serving 130 to 160 families, or 300 to 400 children annually.

The church now wants to have a second Miracle Tree covering the Tippecanoe Valley school district and funds will help with purchasing gifts and hosting a dinner for the families.

For his Eagle Scout project, Tippecanoe Valley High School junior Bryston Canada is seeking $9,254 to build a dog park in Akron. Named Paw Print Park, it will include a fenced-in area with agility obstacles and room for dogs to run. It will be divided into two sections so large and small dogs can be kept separate.

“I just really wanted to do something for my community,” Canada said.

Lindsay Smith of the TVHS Special Needs Prom program asked the board for $1,500 to go toward things like dresses, tuxedoes, accessories, limo service and even an elegant dinner . She noted many of the students who participate are not likely to attend traditional prom.

“I never want to turn away a student who can’t financially go to prom because I couldn’t afford to pay for them,” Smith said.

TVHS students Samantha Hamilton and Elizabeth VanMeter, along with teacher Jeff Shriver, talked about the TVHS Young Entrepreneurs, a program that challenges high school students to start their own business. Students participate in field trips to local businesses, develop business ideas, write business plans, conduct market research, identify target markets, calculate financial costs and pitch their business ideas to an investor panel. In the end, one team receives funding to launch their business.

The program was seeking $1,900.

Inga Omondi and Deb Tillman explained Akron Elementary Schoool’s Kindergarten Choice Time. The idea behind choice time, they said, is to allow students to learn naturally through play, to use words to solve problems, to apply math concepts to various situations and to use their imaginations. The program requested $441 to purchase new, building block sets.

“Kids really need to get their hands on things and work on things and really have the opportunity to communicate with each other,” Omondi said.

After the presentations, the representatives left the room while advisory board members decided how to divide up the $3,000 they had to give. Their decisions were as follows:

• Mentone Elementary’s leveled library, $450
• Mill Creek Missionary, $250
• Paw Print Park, $458
• TVHS Special Needs Prom, $934
• TVHS Young Entrepreneurs, $583
• Akron Elementary Kindergarten Choice Time, $325