The Northern New York Community Foundation has awarded more than $100,000 in grants to nine area organizations.

The money will be used for a wide variety of projects - from building a playground Cranberry Lake to bringing entertainment to Clayton.

The following is a news release from the Foundation:

At its quarterly board meeting Tuesday, the Northern New York Community Foundation, Inc. approved over $100,000 in grants.

Grants approved by the Foundation board include:

· Carthage Free Library - $25,000 in support of their capital campaign to renovate and expand their current facility.

· Cornell Cooperative Extension - $25,000 to assist with necessary infrastructure improvements to 4-H Camp Wabasso.

· Neighbors of Watertown - $10,000 to help fund neighborhood rehabilitation work this summer for single family, owner occupied homes in the city of Watertown.

· Clifton-Fine Hospital - $10,000 to help rebuild their primary care clinic which was destroyed by fire in 2008.

· GardenShare - $10,000 in support of their campaign to build capacity to combat hunger in the North Country.

· Watertown Teen Center - $6,375 to fund a comprehensive strategic sustainability study to help ensure the long term viability of their organization.

· Clifton-Fine Economic Development Corp. - $5,000 to complete funding for a playground in Cranberry Lake.

· Ogdensburg Command Performances - $5,000 to help fund the Youtheatre Class Acts program, which presents six shows throughout the 2010-11 school year in partnership with Ogdensburg, Gouverneur, Massena and Indian River schools.

· Thousand Islands Performing Arts Fund - $5,000 to assist in bringing the Dance Theatre of Harlem for two performances at the Clayton Opera House in October as part of the “Arts in Education” program. One performance will be for high school students, the second will be open to the community.
This was also the first board meeting for newly elected directors Laurel Pike and Jay Stone, both of Watertown. Lee Clary of Black River is retiring from the board after ten years of service. This was also the first regular board meeting with Kenneth J. McAuliffe as president. Bernard H. Brown, Jr. had served as president for the past two years.