News Releases

BILLINGS, Mont., Oct. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- PPL Montana's Community Fund will award a combined $100,000 in grants this fall to 14 nonprofit organizations across the state to support programs that help those in need, strengthen local communities and preserve the region's rich heritage.

The new round of grants raises to more than $2 million the amount PPL Montana's Community Fund has contributed to local organizations over the past nine years.

This fall's grant recipients are:

Lincoln Community Hall, Lincoln, $4,700 - To insulate and bring the hall into compliance with local building codes.

Butte Family YMCA, Butte, $7,300 – To support the "Active 6 Program," which invites all 450 sixth-graders in Butte to come to the Y and engage in healthy activities. 

Havre Area Chamber of Commerce, Havre, $1,500 – To conduct Leadership High School for all high school juniors. This learning experience helps students develop a better awareness of their community while building leadership skills. 

Friends of the Pool, Lewistown, $10,000 - This grant will serve as a match towards an already awarded grant from the Land Water Conservation Fund.  PPL Montana funds are earmarked to replace aging pool equipment.

Boulder Area Recreational Trails, Boulder, $5,500 – To provide funding for a multipurpose shelter along the trail. This enclosed shelter will help provide protection from the elements and also be available for use by students or tour groups as a meeting place along the trail.

Ecology Project International, Missoula, $4,000 - This funding will enable eight additional students to participate in an experiential learning program by taking them into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. They will engage in hands-on research and conservation work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Harvest Church Car Care Ministry, Billings, $4,000 – Car Care Ministry helps people find and keep employment by helping them with vehicle acquisition and repair. They receive referrals from several organizations throughout Billings that recognize transportation is a major component to keeping people employed.  This funding will go towards the purchase of a hoist for the agency's shop in Lockwood.

Habitat for Humanity Mid-Yellowstone Valley, Billings, $10,000 - Habitat has located a used skid steer that would be of great assistance in loading and unloading equipment during home construction.  To date, the agency has built 67 homes in the Billings area.

Potomac School District, Potomac, $10,000 - This funding will go towards enhancing a 5-acre park that will have a running track surrounding a multipurpose field, a baseball diamond, a natural amphitheater, an ice skating rink, viewing stands and parking spaces. 

Ronald McDonald House, Billings, $5,000 - This funding is a contribution towards a campaign to add a two-story addition to the current Ronald McDonald House. This addition will include 11 guest rooms with private baths, a kitchen, a laundry and a children's play area. 

Friends of the Musselshell, Musselshell, $10,000 – To restore and repair windows that have deteriorated within the facility. Replacement of these windows will improve ventilation, ensuring use of the entire second floor and year-round use of the auditorium. 

Richland Opportunities Inc., Sidney, $10,000 - Funding will be used to install ceiling lifts at the organization's facilities. These lifts will assure the safety of clients and staff, reducing injuries to both as they lift and move clients about the homes.

Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Montana, Butte, $8,000 – Funding will go towards rebuilding homes for local residents. Habitat for Humanity has a neighborhood revitalization initiative, which has the mission of rehabilitating much of Butte's deteriorated housing. 

Friends of the Sheridan Public Library, Sheridan, $10,000 – To expand the Sheridan Library and provide archival-level protection for its historical collection. 

PPL Montana provides safe, reliable energy from coal-fired power plants at Colstrip and Billings, as well as 11 hydroelectric plants along West Rosebud Creek and the Missouri, Madison, Clark Fork and Flathead rivers. It has a combined generating capacity of more than 1,200 megawatts and has offices in Billings, Butte and Helena. PPL Montana and its 500 employees are dedicated to Montana and its communities, supporting educational, environmental and economic development programs across the state. PPL EnergyPlus operates a trading floor in Butte that markets and sells power for PPL Montana in wholesale and retail energy markets throughout the western United States. PPL Montana and PPL EnergyPlus are subsidiaries of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL). More information about PPL Montana is available at www.pplmontana.com.

Contact:
Lisa Perry
Manager-Community Affairs
406-237-6914

SOURCE PPL Montana