ROCK — Maple Ridge Township has been awarded a grant of $2,500 from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA). The grant was awarded through the MCACA peer review process and was one of 561 applications to compete for MCACA fiscal year 2020 funding.

Organizations receiving a MCACA grant award are required to match those funds with other public and private dollars. Maple Ridge Township also receives significant volunteer support from the community and the concert committee led by Chairperson Mollie Larsen. Other committee members are Judy Trudell, Teri and Marty Kowalski, Diana Englund, Ruth Lund, Sherri and Patti Salmi, Lisa Keeney, Wally Trudell, and Jerry Maki.

This year’s concerts, held on Wednesday evenings for six weeks beginning with July 8, will consist of:

July 8 – Grand Design

July 22 – Angels and Outlaws

July 29 – 3-Wheel Drive

Aug. 5 – Pink Violin

Aug. 12 – Sit Down Francis

The last concert will include a barbecue picnic with a menu and cost to be determined. All concerts are free of charge, although a 50/50 raffle is held each evening to help with the Township’s share of the expenses.

The MCACA peer review process allows for each grant application to be competitively considered by a panel of in-state and out-of-state arts and culture professionals. This insures the taxpayers, who support this project through legislative appropriations, and all other visitors or residents in Michigan will have access to the highest quality arts and cultural experiences.

A complete list of grant awards around the state is available by contacting MCACA at 517-241-4011, or by visiting the MCACA website at www.michigan.gov/arts.