Northland and Valspar Foundations Award 583 Gallons of Paint Products

All across northeastern Minnesota, communities will look fresher and brighter this summer. This is the twelfth year the

Northland Foundation has partnered with the Valspar Foundation to provide free paint and coating products for community restoration or beautification projects, and in that time more than 6,000 gallons of paint have been awarded to 150 projects. The grant opportunity is available to communities and non-profit organizations in the seven-county region.

Typically 8-10 grants are awarded annually, but this year 18 received free Valspar paint products. Projects are selected based on visual impact, public benefit, volunteer participation and support, intended use, and benefit to the needy. Qualifying projects include historic buildings, senior citizen centers, community centers, public buildings and parks, murals, or other visual impact projects. The 2009 grants were awarded to the following groups.

• YWCA of Duluth, to paint the interiors of two YWCA Early Childhood Centers.
• Cook County Council on Aging, Grand Marais, to paint the interior of the Cook County Senior Center.
• Northome City Library, to paint the interior walls of the library.
• Wrenshall KIDS PLUS & Peer Helpers, to update an exterior outdoor mural and paint a new mural inside the community pool area.
• Life House, Inc., Duluth, to paint an outdoor mural showing the diversity of homeless youth.
• Hill City School Community Education, ISD #2, to restore the historical murals in the community park areas.
• Northstar 4-H Club, Bigfork, to paint exterior wood posts at the Effie Ball Park.
• Morgan Park Community Club, Duluth, to paint the interior walls of the community club’s large activity/meeting room and entry hall.
• Aitkin County Agricultural Society, to paint the interior and exterior of historical buildings on the community fairgrounds site used for 4-H, cattle, and the community.
• Chisholm Beautification Association, Inc. to refresh an existing external mural project, paint the exterior of an elderly handicapped & disabled senior’s home, and paint the community benches, dugouts, and bocce doors.
• Barnum Youth Center, to paint the exterior of the Flower Building on the community fairgrounds site.
• Long Lake Conservation Foundation, Palisade, to paint exterior siding, windows, and decking to complete updates on the Marcum home.
• Nortun Lodge – Sons of Norway, Duluth, to paint interior walls of the Viking Room, office, lounge, restrooms, kitchen, and stairway of a 100 year old historical building.
• Sand Lake Township, Spring Lake, to paint the exterior of a community building.
• Squaw Lake Volunteer Fire Department, to paint the interior of the community Emergency Cooling Shelter.
• Lincoln Park Business Group, Duluth, to paint and update the exterior signs in the Lincoln Park neighborhood and the Harrison Community Center.
• Civil Air Patrol, Eveleth, to paint the training facility concrete floor and hangar.
• Girl Scouts Lakes and Pines Council, Duluth, to paint the interior of three buildings on the Northern Lakes Canoe Base Property.