One Iowa casino is attempting to help a local courthouse ramp up its emergency readiness.
The Lyon County Courthouse, located in Rock Rapids, Iowa, wants to install a backup generator in case of a major power outage. The courthouse does not currently have one.
Enter the Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort. The casino, located roughly 15 miles west of Rock Rapids in Larchwood, partners with the Lyon County Riverboat Foundation. LCRF is a local nonprofit that hands out grants.
This isn’t the first we’re hearing of community support by an Iowa casino. Last month, PlayIA reported on Wild Rose Casino‘s charitable contributions. And it won’t be the last since Iowa mandates casinos to donate some of their revenues to local charities.
Iowa casino’s non-profit grant should help fund the generator
Ideally, the group would fund the project, given the estimated cost of $52,000.
In February 2021, a winter storm rolled through Rock Rapids, bringing frigid temperatures and rolling blackouts. The town wants to avoid that in the future at all costs.
“We were pretty fortunate (in 2021),” Rock Rapids Municipal Utilities manager Jim Hoye said at an August Lyon County Board of Supervisors meeting. “You need to prepare for it. If it doesn’t happen, fantastic.”
Questions remain on project funding and the $52,000 estimation. Hoye received that $52,000 quote from Meyer Electric in Rock Rapids, but he said it was a rough estimate. That figure does not factor in any snafus in the installation process.
When the American Rescue Plan sent $2.28 million to Lyon County, the board was looking to buy a courthouse generator worth $100,000.
Board supervisors hope the LCRF grant would do more than just improve the courthouse’s power. That grant money would additionally provide more funding space for the county annex building.
American Rescue Plan Act funds are projected to cover the annex building project. Should the LCRF’s grant fall through, board supervisors would consider going back to the previous plan for the generator.
How to apply for a donation from the Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort
For those looking to request a donation, head to Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort’s website. The site will ask for your organization’s name, tax ID number, date, and contact information.
It will also ask for the type of donation request (financial contribution, auction/drawing item, or other). And your desired contribution request amount range, and a brief description of how your event will benefit the community.
“Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort is a proud member of Lyon County and is dedicated to helping those in our community and surrounding areas,” the organization’s site reads.
In 2021, the LCRF distributed more than $816,000 in funds to various community projects and local organizations. Projects funded include:
- Remodel of the Lyon County Fair’s 4-H building
- New playground equipment in Rock Rapids
- Swimming pool at Inwood Aquatic Center
- Day-care at the Kids Club
- New Merrill Pioneer Hospital
You can submit a request using one of the forms on Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort’s website or print and send it through the mail. Submit donations no later than two weeks before the scheduled event.
If you’re requesting a financial contribution, the site recommends you send the request in time for the contributions committee meeting. The committee holds meetings at the end of each fiscal quarter in March, June, September, and December.
