By Roy Wood, Special to the Times Chronicle

Every year the Town of Osoyoos hands out Community Service Grants to non-profit organizations and community groups who render services to town residents.

The demand is always higher than the amount of funding available, so some of the applicants end up disappointed. 

In its recent quarterly report to council, the community services department listed the 2023 successful and unsuccessful applicants who were assessed by the Grant Evaluation Committee.

Cactus Jalopies was hoping for a $25,000 grant to help cover travel and accommodation costs for the hundreds of participants in its huge summertime car show, plus the costs of insurance, promotion, advertising and social media. They were granted just $7,500.

The Desert Park Exhibition Society was looking for $11,500 to help with the recent Denim and Rhinestone Gala fundraiser. They had to be happy with $1,500.

On the bright side for the Desert Park folks, the Ring Around the Barrel event received $5,000 of a $6,000 request.

The Wide Arts National Association sought $10,000 to hire artists and performers for its All Hallows Festival. They received $1,500. Wide Arts was shut out in its ask for $5,210 to complete a mural mosaic project and to bring art pieces to Osoyoos.

The Osoyoos Pickleball Club was hoping for $5,000 to install sun shades at its outdoor facility near the high school. They were turned down.

The Osoyoos and District Arts Council was rejected over its request for  $5,000 a “toward Osoyoos Spring Festival and cultural event.”

The Osoyoos Elks Lodge received just $1,250 of the requested $5,000 for a new “console and flashboard.”

Among the more successful applicants were:

  • South Okanagan Similkameen Mental Health Wellness Society – $1,680 for renting a room at Sonora Centre;
  • Osoyoos Childcare Centre – $6,352 for a new hot water tank;
  • Osoyoos Curling Club – $2,000 for lighting in washrooms and changerooms;
  • Osoyoos Secondary School – $4,500 for bursaries;
  • Various sports teams – $2,000 for travel;
  • SOS Pride Society – $4,747 for festival event;
  • Osoyoos Lake Water Quality Society – $2,000 for continuing its program;
  • Desert Valley Hospice Society – $3,000 to provide senior wellness;
  • Osoyoos Festival Society – $18,000 for promotion, entertainment and prizes;
  • Elks Senior Citizens Society – $2,500 for property taxes on low-cost housing.

In all, $54,030 was granted from a 2023 budget of $64,000. There was a total of $116,208 in requests.

A separate program of grants under the provincially-funded Resort Municipality Initiative saw the following grants handed out:

  • Osoyoos and District Arts Council – $6,000 for spring festival;
  • Osoyoos Lake Paddling Club – $4,000 for flag race festival.