Great things happen when local insight meets intentional grant writing. This month, two CEDA team members have given our region and the communities they serve plenty to celebrate. Thanks to the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), two impactful projects have each been awarded $10,000 grant funding, promising fresh momentum for both outdoor recreation and downtown enterprise.
If you have spent any time tracking a disc through the trees lately, you know the sport of disc golf is booming. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of CEDA’s Kurt Meister, local disc golfers in Zumbrota are about to see some great upgrades to their disc golf course. Zumbrota was awarded a $10,000 SMIF grant specifically dedicated to finishing and elevating the local disc golf course. The funds will go towards pouring concrete on the tee-off pads, new basket stickers, and directional navigation arrows to keep rounds fl owing smoothly. To cap it off , a welcome sign that will include a full course map will greet disc golfers arriving at the course, making the park more inviting and accessible to all ages.
In Mantorville, another initiative is taking shape to support local businesses. CEDA’s Todd Kieffer successfully wrote and was awarded a $10,000 SMIF grant to launch the Mantorville Business Owner Learning Initiative.
The initiative is designed to ensure business owners do not have to leave town to find professional growth opportunities, instead the program meets business owners where they are. The initiative brought together four cornerstone organizations in Mantorville: the Mantorville Economic Development Authority (EDA), the Mantorville Chamber of Commerce, the Mantorville Restoration Association, and the Mantorville Art Guild. With the support of this grant, the initiative will roll out seven to eight hands-on workshops led by qualified business professionals and subject matter experts. Business owners will also have direct access to one-on-one consultations to tackle unique business challenges.
Congratulations to CEDA’s Kurt Meister and Todd Kieffer, as well as the communities of Zumbrota and Mantorville, for turning regional opportunities into tangible local impact.
