Upstate, SC [November 20, 2013] – Ten at the Top (TATT), an organization created to foster collaboration, partnerships and strategic planning across the Upstate, has announced the recipients for the first-ever Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Community Vibrancy Grants.
There were five finalists chosen from a total of 30 applications that were submitted for the two grants available in 2013. Hughes Investments is contributing $10,000 per year over the next five years to the program with two recipients each year receiving $5,000 to support a new vibrancy initiative in the Upstate.
During the Our Upstate Vision/Ten at the Top Forum on November 19th the five finalists provided a brief overview of their initiative. After all presentations were given, Phil Hughes, President of Hughes Investments and a member of the Ten at the Top Community Vibrancy Task Force, announced the two recipients of the grants.
The recipients are:
City of Anderson – Transforming utility and traffic signalization boxes and crosswalks into public art based around the book “Little Wren Lost and the Teakettle Call.”
City of Greer Parks and Recreation – Greer: An International Destination Festival will be a one-day event in Downtown Greer as part of Upstate International Month. The festival is scheduled for March 29, 2013.
Phil Hughes then surprised the attendees by announcing a third grant recipient for 2013.
“I was absolutely amazed by the number of great ideas submitted for the program. It was a real challenge to narrow the field from 30 applications to five finalists, to two winners”, said Hughes. “In fact, we couldn’t, so I am pleased to announce a third recipient.”
The third recipient is:
Blue Ridge Arts Council – “3 Part Public Art” project includes murals, custom and hand built street furniture and interactive sculptures in downtown Seneca.
“The Elevate Upstate Community Vibrancy Grants are a great opportunity to provide seed funds to help communities increase the vibrancy and sense of place within their community,” said Ten at the Top Executive Director Dean Hybl. “Phil Hughes has been a great champion of the community vibrancy task force since the beginning and the idea for the grant program was his. That he took it up a notch by announcing a third recipient just speaks to his commitment to the region and to the value growing vibrancy can have for communities in the Upstate.”
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