Apex Clean Energy is proud to announce six Allegan County organizations as the latest recipients of Blazing Star Solar Community Grants totaling $30,000. The following organizations were selected for their community impact and alignment with the grant program’s mission.
- Allegan Conservation District
- Wayland Police & Fire Departments
- Community Action of Allegan County
- Henika District Library
- Wayland Area EMS
- Wayland Union High School Robotics
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The Allegan Conservation District received a $4,000 grant to launch its Seeds for Restoration program, which will establish a community seed back for native plants at the organization's headquarters in Allegan.
"We're really excited to get Seeds for Restoration off the ground thanks to this award," said executive director Brian Talsma. "Native plants are the foundation of our natural communities, and having the capacity to collect and propagate local native seeds will allow the Conservation District to restore biodiversity in areas impacted by development, invasive species, and other disturbances."
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Apex Clean Energy project developer Seth Bartos and Allegan Conservation District Restoration Coordinator Ari Henson
The Wayland Fire and Police Departments were awarded $5,000 to help complete renovations to the community room located inside their building in Wayland, which serves as a polling place, training center, and community meeting location.
"The Wayland Fire Department is tremendously grateful to Apex Clean Energy for their generous support, which has made it possible to purchase new training room furniture that will enhance public safety learning and collaboration for years to come," said Fire Chief Jon Timmers. "The current community training room has been outdated and underutilized, and new tables and chairs will be purchased to enhance the space and complement other upgrades to the space we have recently made."
"The Wayland Police Department appreciates Apex's commitment to our community," added Police Chief Scott Matice. "With their support, we are now able to upgrade our training room with new furniture that supports better training and stronger service for our residents."
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Police Chief Scott Matice, Apex Clean Energy Director of Public Engagement Brian O'Shea, and Fire Chief Jon Timmers
Community Action of Allegan County and Apex Clean Energy have announced a new partnership to expand access to crisis utility assistance for families in the Wayland area. Apex is contributing $15,000 towards an expansion of the crisis utility assistance program for residents of Wayland Township, the City of Wayland, and the surrounding area.
The partnership will help families in Allegan County living paycheck-to-paycheck, including families earning below 200% of the Federal Poverty Line and Asset Limited Income Constrained and Employed (ALICE) households struggling to meet basic needs for food, housing, and health care.
“As winter comes to an end, many Allegan County residents still face a chilling reality: funds to support utility assistance have been largely expended and state and federal funding uncertainties remain. This leaves our nonprofit severely limited in our ability to meet the needs of families and individuals struggling to keep their homes warm and the lights on,” said Lisa Evans, Executive Director at Community Action of Allegan County. “We are deeply grateful for this new partnership with Apex Clean Energy to address the increased affordability challenges in our community and for increasing crisis utility funds to support our neighbors in need.”
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(from left) Apex Clean Energy project developer Seth Bartos, Community Action Allegan County Board Chair Michael Vandenberg and Executive Director Lisa Evans, and Apex Clean Energy Director of Public Engagement Brian O'Shea
The Henika District Library was awarded $1,000 to launch a new Immersive Learning project, which will use virtual reality to enhance STEM education.
“Through our Immersive Learning project, Henika District Library will introduce immersive, hands-on STEM experiences that allow children and teens to explore areas of science, language learning, and space exploration in ways traditional tools simply cannot provide. By offering equitable access to innovative VR technology, the library is strengthening STEM literacy, supporting classroom learning, and inspiring curiosity and future career exploration in our community," said Youth Librarian Tori Schreur.
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Wayland Area EMS was awarded $2,500 to relaunch their popular bike helmet program, enhancing public safety for area youth while also helping families that otherwise might not be able to afford replacement helmets.
"Wayland Area EMS was able to purchase bike helmets for community children in 2021 through a grant from the Michigan Bureau of EMS, Trauma and Preparedness. Being able to provide this very important safety tool to our local kids is such a blessing not only to the kids and families who receive them, but also to us," said general manager Brenda Mays. "We are very excited to once again be able to pass out free bike helmets thanks to Apex Clean Energy!"
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Wayland Area EMS General Manager Brenda Mays and her team
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"We are incredibly grateful to Apex Clean Energy for awarding a grant to our team in support of our robot production. This funding makes a meaningful impact on our students and the opportunities we’re able to provide. Continued support from companies like Apex helps our students turn ideas into a competitive robot while gaining valuable real-world STEM and teamwork experience," said coach Kim Bridges.
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Apex Director of Public Engagement Brian O'Shea presented the grant to the Wayland Union High School Robotics team and was able to see the amazing robot in action!
Apex Clean Energy is honored to partner with these organizations and looks forward to continuing to invest in the people, places, and ideas that make Allegan County a great place to live. Since 2023, more than $85,000 has been awarded to local organizations through the program. Community groups interested in future funding opportunities are encouraged to learn more and apply at www.blazingstarsolar.com/grant.
The 125-megawatt Blazing Star Solar project proposed for Wayland Township could generate enough electricity each year to power more than 20,000 average Michigan homes while providing a new source of income for local farmers and landowners. If approved, the project would be a major economic development, generating up to $24.6 million in local property taxes for local governments, county services, and the Wayland Union School District over its lifetime along with hundreds of construction jobs and local career opportunities for long-term operations and maintenance staff. More information about the project can be found online at www.BlazingStarSolar.com
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