CANTON -- The Northern New York Community Foundation has awarded $25,000 in total matching grant support to help launch a community campaign for the Grasse River Heritage organization in Canton.

The Community Foundation awarded a $15,000 matching grant to help bolster community support for Grasse River Heritage’s sculpture garden project on Willow Island in the village of Canton. The organization established the garden in 2016 and featured a number of temporary local, national and international sculptures at the park. Through the campaign, the organization will present a rotating series of sculptures to the community over the next few years.

The Community Foundation will match each gift, dollar-for-dollar, up to $15,000 for the campaign. This grant was also made possible, in part, by the Peter Van de Water Fund for St. Lawrence County. Mr. Van de Water played a pivotal role in the establishment of Grasse River Heritage in 1999 and was the first St. Lawrence County representative to serve on the Foundation’s board of directors.

“Grasse River Heritage has led by example as they continue to enhance the quality of life in the Canton area. In many ways, our two organizations have common goals, and we are pleased to find yet another way to partner with them,” said Rande Richardson Community Foundation executive director.

“The generous support of the Northern New York Community Foundation strongly affirms our belief in the value of this unique project to the cultural and economic life of Canton,” said Louis Tremaine, Grasse River Heritage president. “It has, in turn, already inspired a generous response from many members of the community. Anyone wishing to contribute to this effort is encouraged to contact us through our website: www.grasseriverheritage.org.”

The Community Foundation also awarded a $10,000 matching grant to help build Grasse River Heritage’s endowment fund, which is administered at the Foundation. The endowment allows the agency to diversify its charitable giving options and supports the organization’s mission in perpetuity. The Foundation will also match each gift to the Grasse River Heritage endowment fund, dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000.