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Arizona's schools and universities win big from lottery ticket sales
Whether you won or lost when you bought a lottery ticket last year, some of your money is likely going to benefit something you would approve of... helping Arizona's schools and universities.
That's because the bulk of this year's grants from the Arizona Game and Fish Department Heritage Fund are going to education and research. Heritage Fund money comes from Arizona Lottery ticket sales. This year, the department is awarding more than $340,000 from the fund to 16 grant projects across Arizona.
"We're pleased to award this money to deserving projects every year", says Ty Gray, the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Heritage Fund administrator. "We like to see this money go to all kinds of recipients, from elementary schools to colleges to other great projects that benefit people and wildlife across the state".
Arizona voters created the Heritage Fund back in 1990. The money from lottery ticket sales goes to conservation efforts like protecting endangered species, educating our children about wildlife, helping urban residents coexist with wildlife, and creating new opportunities for outdoor recreation. Every year, hundreds of thousands of dollars are set aside to award as grants to important projects that otherwise might not receive funding.
"We have an application process to make sure that worthy projects can move forward", says Robyn Beck, the department's Heritage grant coordinator. "We want to help students, researchers, outdoor enthusiasts, and ultimately, all Arizonans to enjoy this money".
Among the projects that won Heritage grants this year:
1. Creation of an educational storybook that the Flagstaff Unified School District, teachers, and others can use to teach ecological concepts to kids.
2. Development of a handicap accessible trail that the staff of Cooper ESC in the Tucson Unified School District can use to provide an authentic Sonoran Desert experience to students, teachers, and parents with disabilities.
3. Research from the University of Arizona on how to control the population of crayfish, an invasive species that is threatening the freshwater biodiversity in Arizona.
4. Creation of a nature trail on the Verde campus of Yavapai College in Clarkdale, which will be used by local schools and community members to become familiar with native wildlife.
5. Purchase of four bird watching kiosks to provide information to outdoor enthusiasts at the Mittry Lake Wildlife Area near Yuma.
6. Construction of an aquatic wildlife refuge and awareness area for students of all ages to use at the Kingman campus of Mohave Community College.
7. Purchase of new easier to open, more user-friendly public access gates for a high traffic area of the Clifton Ranger District in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.
8. Research from Arizona State University about how diseases move in amphibian populations.
9. Creation of a hummingbird habitat garden with a natural pond area and native plants to teach children about environmental education at a school in the Kyrene School District in the Phoenix area.
Over the years, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has awarded a total of more than $10 million in grants to communities across the state. More than two dozen schools in Maricopa County alone have benefited from Heritage money since the fund was created. Arizonans can help raise money for the Heritage Fund every year, simply by buying Arizona Lottery tickets.
The department will hold workshops in August for groups interested in applying for next year's Heritage grants. Contact Robyn Beck at (602) 789-3530 for more information about the application process and whether your group would qualify for a Heritage grant.
Source: BonusGambler.com Editors' Choice
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