Whidbey General Hospital Foundation announced their community grant awards at a reception last week.

Board members Don Piercy, Carol Kerley, Ken O’Mhuan and Lynn Tippery presented $25,000 to eight organizations.

“For our first year we were delighted to receive eleven proposals for truly worthwhile health-related projects,” said Ken O’Mhuan, one of the members of screening committee. “The hard part was receiving requests for twice as much as we had available.”

The eight organizations that received grant awards are:

• Langley Community Emergency Shelter Consortium — $1,700 for shelter first aid supplies;

• Clinton Community Emergency Response Team — $5,000 for community disaster supplies;

• American Cancer Society — $2,000 for North Whidbey and South Whidbey Relay For Life;

• Oak Harbor Christian School — $500 for a hearing audiometer;

• Small Miracles — $2,000 for Coupeville medical support services;

• Friends of Friends — $5,000 for South Whidbey medical support services;

• Daybreak Adult Day Service — $5,000 for adult day care for seniors with dementia;

• And the Island County Public Health Department — $3,800 for re-printing of Island County Trails pocket guides.

Representatives from every organization attended the reception.

“The board of directors invited representatives from each organization to the reception because they wanted to meet the leaders of the organizations responsible for making a difference in our community,” said Don Piercy, board treasurer. “We are in their debt.”

The next Community Grants Program funding cycle will be announced February 2009, following the foundation’s decision on the amount that will be made available.