Grants support Cheboygan Area Arts Council,
City of Madison
Heights
JACKSON,
Mich., Oct. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The
Consumers Energy Foundation announced today $500,000 in grant funding as part of their annual
Prosperity Awards. This year's recipients, based in Cheboygan and Madison Heights are working to support
neighborhood revitalization and arts and culture development in
their communities.
"Bolstering economic development within a community isn't only
about strengthening small and local businesses; it is also about
developing the resources, facilities and opportunities that attract
people to visit, to spend their time and money, and even to move
there," said Brandon Hofmeister,
president of the Consumers Energy Foundation. "Both of these
grantees understand the importance of placemaking to facilitate
community growth, and we're looking forward to seeing the positive
impact these two cultural amenities will provide for their
regions."
The Prosperity Awards recipients chosen from more than 100
applicants are:
- Cheboygan Area Arts Council ($250,000), Cheboygan
-
- Grant funding will go toward the Cheboygan Opera House, one of only seven
remaining opera houses in Michigan, which serves as a world-class arts,
culture and resource facility for the northern lower peninsula. The
funding will allow for improvements to ensure the facility is
accessible for attendees and performers of all physical
abilities.
- City of Madison
Heights ($250,000)
-
- Grant funding will support the "Rock the Heights" project to
construct a state-of-the-art bandshell in Civic Center Park to
serve as an inclusive community hub where people of all ages and
abilities can gather in an outdoor setting.
"Thanks to this generous investment from the Consumers Energy
Foundation, we will be able to make numerous improvements to our
theater that will remove barriers and make our space truly
accessible to all patrons, students and performers," said
Owen Goslin, Executive Director of
the Cheboygan Area Arts Council. "The current Opera House building
has been the center of the performing arts in the Straits region
since 1888, and we are excited to follow through on our mission of
making the arts accessible to all of our community."
"Live performance art has a special place in a city like ours —
it heals, brings people together, and provides an incredible outlet
for our youth," said Mark Bliss,
Madison Heights Mayor Pro Tem and
Founder of the Madison Heights Arts Board. "I am so thankful to our
grant application team and the Consumers Energy Foundation for
helping us realize a long-term goal for the community. This grant
will be a catalyst for bringing even more free, live entertainment
and cultural events to the city."
The Prosperity Awards are the Consumers Energy Foundation's
final signature grant allocations in 2023 totaling $1.5 million. The Foundation previously
awarded the Planet Awards in April and the People Awards in
July.
The Consumers Energy Foundation is the charitable arm
of Consumers Energy, Michigan's
largest energy provider. The Foundation contributes to the growth
and strengthening of Michigan
communities by investing in what's most important — our
people, our planet and Michigan's
prosperity. In 2022, the Consumers Energy Foundation, Consumers
Energy, its employees and retirees contributed more than
$18.5 million to Michigan nonprofits.
Consumers Energy is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy
(NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7
million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower
Peninsula counties.
For more information about Consumers Energy, go to
ConsumersEnergy.com.
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SOURCE Consumers Energy