Lake City, Iowa, January 2023 - The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), the philanthropic arm of NTCA –The Rural Broadband Association, announced the recipients of 31 grants totaling over $142,000 to support projects in communities served by NTCA members across the country. Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association is pleased to announce Friends of Community Memorial Building in Lake City, Iowa, as one of these grant recipients.
Friends of Community Memorial Building Foundation received $5,000 to be used for a digital display honoring local veterans as part of the veteran's museum to be located on the second floor of the community building.
Tami Green, Treasurer of the Friends of Community Memorial Building Foundation partnered with Webster-Calhoun in pursuing this national grant. "This project will educate the public by creating a space for a veteran's museum that will display war memorabilia, a dual historical timeline of the history of wars in our country's past along with Lake City's history. It will also honor the many veterans from our community - not just with a small plaque on a wall but with a digital archive showing a written narrative of the veteran's service area and history of their life after service."
For a complete list of grant awardees from the Foundation for Rural Service, click here.
In 1920 a group of ladies from the Lake City Improvement Society were determined to erect this building as a memorial to the many service members who had perished in the wars up to that time. We also wanted to honor the living veterans to have a special place of gathering. This building, located on the City square surrounded by local businesses, has stood the test of time for over 100 years. Renovation over the past two years has brought the building back to life and the ballroom has already hosted several events.
“The community grant program is particularly exciting because FRS multiplies the support NTCA members are already providing in their communities resulting in a larger impact for local schools and nonprofit organizations,” said Pam Becker, Executive Director of FRS. She continued, “In addition to contributions from this year’s 24 partnering NTCA companies, we are also grateful for extra support from Farm Credit East, CoBank and its funding of the Virtual Living Room program, Womble Bond Dickinson, and the Carri Bennet Rural Economic Development Grant Fund.”
Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association (WCCTA) provides Internet, landline telephone, WIFI, and television service to 20 rural communities in North Central, Iowa, including Lake City. As a certified Gig Capable provider from NTCA, The Rural Broadband Association, WCCTA can provide up to Gigabit and symmetrical Internet speeds. www.wccta.net
The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), the philanthropic arm of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and its members, seeks to sustain and enhance the quality of life in rural America by advancing an understanding of rural issues. Through scholarships, grants, and a variety of educational programs, FRS focuses on educating rural youth, encouraging community development and introducing policymakers to challenges unique to rural communities. Visit us at www.frs.org.
NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovation in rural and small-town America. In an era of transformative technological advancements, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are leading the technological evolution for rural consumers, delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks that make rural communities vibrant places in which to live and do business. Because of their efforts, rural America is fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at www.ntca.org.
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