Author Archives: Michelle DeWitt

Rasmuson Individual Artist Award Partnership

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BCSF is partnering with the Rasmuson Foundation to assist YK Delta artists who would like to apply for one of the Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Award Grants. We are providing one-on-one technical assistance with the grant application process as well as offering some ancillary services- such as specialized art photography and application transcription- when necessary.

Past YK Delta Artists to receive this award include:

  • Earl Atchak ~ Folk and Traditional Arts ($18,000 and $5,000)
  • Vernon Bavilla ~ Folk and Traditional Arts ($5,000)
  • Christopher Ho ~ Media Arts  ($5,000 and $5,000)
  • John McIntyre ~ Folk and Traditional Arts ($5,000)
  • Mike McIntyre ~ Music Composition ($5,000)
  • Maria Alice Nicolai ~ Visual Arts ($5,000)
  • Steven Stone ~ Folk and Traditional Arts ($7,500)
  • Lisa Unin ~ Folk and Traditional Arts ($7,500)

To learn more about the Individual Artist Award, click here. The application period will begin January 15, 2018.

BCSF Sponsors 2017 Give+Get Drawing

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Pick.Click.Give to any or all of the seven Y-K Delta organizations listed below when you file for your 2017 PFD and you will automatically be entered into the BCSF-sponsored Give+Get Drawing for $1,000 or $500 for you AND the participating Y-K Delta nonprofit of your choice. You will receive one automatic entry into the 2017 Give+Get Drawing for each Y-K Delta organization that you support through Pick.Click.Give – that is as many as SEVEN possible entries into the drawing!

The winner will be announced live on KYUK on Giving Tuesday, November 28, 2017!

The seven participating Y-K Delta organizations are: Bethel Family Clinic, Bethel Friends of Canines, Bethel Search and Rescue, Kuimarvik (supporting access to the Y-K Pool and swim lessons through the YK Delta Lifesavers), KYUK, Tundra Women’s Coalition and Yuut Elitnaurviat.

Bethel Community Services Foundation (BCSF) announces that the third annual Give+Get Drawing in 2017 will reward two lucky donors who choose to Pick.Click.Give. to a Y-K Delta-based nonprofit. The first place winner will earn $1,000 and the second place winner will earn $500.

“BCSF’s goal is to increase giving through Pick. Click. Give. to the Y-K Delta nonprofits who have applied to be part of that campaign,” said Michelle DeWitt, Executive Director of BCSF. So far, three individuals have won prizes in the drawing during the past two years: Joan Dewey in 2015, and Melody Hoffman (first place) and Mae Engler (2nd place, which was created in the second year of the campaign) in 2016.

According to DeWitt, what makes this drawing unique is that the winners will also receive another prize: the ability to designate which of the seven participating nonprofits will receive a matching $1,000 and $500 award from BCSF. The gift to the nonprofit was intended to “continue the spirit of giving and leverage more dollars to a nonprofit in our region,” said DeWitt. “We thought it would add to the fun and the intention of the drawing to not only give the individual winner cash, but also give that lucky person the opportunity to pick an organization they care about to win, too.” BCSF is contributing the $7,000 cash and advertising costs for the project. Thus far in the first two years of the drawing, $2,500 was awarded to individuals and $2,500 was awarded to participating nonprofit groups.

With an incentive to win $1,000 or $500, BCSF expects more donors will participate in the Pick.Click.Give. campaign and select a Y-K Delta organization for their contribution. The seven organizations from our region listed with Pick.Click.Give. & participating in the Give+Get Drawing are Bethel Family Clinic, Yuut Elitnaurviat, KYUK, and Tundra Women’s Coalition – which have all participated in the past- and new groups Bethel Search & Rescue, Kuimarvik (whose proceeds will be allocated to the YK Delta Lifesavers to support swimming opportunities at the YK Fitness Center) and Bethel Friends of Canines. The minimum Pick.Click.Give. donation is $25, and only people who file electronically have the opportunity to participate in Pick.Click.Give. Donors will receive one entry for each participating organization he or she contributes to for a maximum of seven entries into the drawing. Donors must provide their name when they Pick.Click.Give. in order to be entered into the Give+Get Drawing. BCSF will hold the drawing on #GivingTuesday on Tuesday, November 28, 2017 as part of the #bethelgives campaign.

DeWitt said that individuals who filed for their PFD without choosing to Pick.Click.Give. can go back to the system and add a contribution or make a change to their contributions. To do this, PFD filers should visit pfd.alaska.gov and clicking the Green “Add or Change My Pick.Click.Give. Donation” button.

John Malone Fund Application Available!

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BCSF is pleased to announce that we are making the first grant from the John Malone Fund.

The John Malone Fund was established at Bethel Community Services Foundation in 2008 to honor John Malone, a founder of BCSF’s originating organization which was known first as Bethel Social Services and later as Bethel Community Services. John dedicated a large portion of his time to improving the lives of people living disabilities and/or mental illness, both in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region and throughout Alaska through his leadership with the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. John also helped lead the vision to transition the service-providing organization he inspired to what BCSF is today- a broad community foundation benefitting our community through capacity building, leadership and grant support. IMG_0639

The John Malone Fund was created in 2008 by BCSF’s Board of Directors to honor John’s legacy. Grants made annually will benefit individuals with disabilities and/or mental illness who are residing in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region of Alaska. The amount available in 2014 is $634.The grant deadline is Thursday, Dec. 18 at 5 pm. Applications may be submitted using an online form at: 2014 John Malone Fund Grant Application. For those who have limited internet access, the form was in the December 9 Delta Discovery and can be requested in word document form by emailing michelle@bcsfoundation.org.

Any individual, business or organization who would like to donate to the John Malone Fund at BCSF may mail a contribution to PO Box 2189 Bethel, AK 99559, drop off a contribution at 1795 Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway in Bethel or click the Donate Now button to the right to make an electronic contribution.

2014 Kuskokwim Ice Classic Winner Announcement!

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Two Bethel men, Alvin Jimmie Sr. and Pavilla, are the winners of the 2014 Kuskokwim Ice Classic. They will split the jackpot of $6,927.50- winning $3,463.75 each.

Alvin and Harry guessed the exact time that tripod movement on the Kuskokwim River stopped the clock – May 2, 2014 at 5:00 pm.

There were 134 guesses returned to the Ice Classic for May 2nd and more than 3,200 total guesses submitted this year.

The 2014 Kuskokwim Ice Classic had the second-largest jackpot in 10 years.

Bethel Regional High School’s Native Youth Olympics, Music and Special Olympics programs will benefit from the $6,347.50 BRHS will earn for their database entry efforts, student ticket sales and ticket sales at Swanson’s, Crowley and ID Variety.

The clock has stopped!

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The tripod’s movement stopped the clock at 5:00 pm today, May 2nd.

The Breakup Bash will be Sunday, May 4 from 3 pm-5:30 pm at the river wall. There will be juice, hot dogs and music. Come join the fun on Sunday!

Bethel Regional High School has not completed the database that will determine the winner or winners who guessed May 2 at 5 pm (or the closest guess to that without going over). Please stay tuned for a few more days to find out about the lucky Ice Classic Winner (or Winners)!

The Tripod Shifted- But Not Enough to Stop the Clock!

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There is Breakup excitement happening now in Bethel! Around 12:50 p.m. today the tripod moved about 100 feet and out of sight of the webcam. That distance isn’t enough to stop the clock- the tripod needs to move about 100 yards for that- but people are checking the river – probably the times of their guesses, too- and BCSF staff are talking about the Breakup Bash. The Breakup Bash will not be scheduled until after the official clock is stopped- and we have no way of knowing exactly when the tripod will move again- so check back here, on the Kuskokwim Ice Classic Facebook page, or KYUK announcements for more information about that event.

In other news, Bethel Regional High School (the beneficiary of Ice Classic proceeds) has not yet completed entries for the Ice Classic “guess” database. After the clock is stopped, a winner cannot be announced until that database is finished. Word from BRHS is that they hope to be finished with entries by Wednesday, May 7th.

 

2014 Ice Classic Jackpot Announced!

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There is $6,302.50 in winnings at stake in the 2014 Kuskokwim Ice Classic. The winner will take home the entire $6,302.50 or split it, if there are multiple guesses for the same winning time.

Last year’s Ice Classic winner earned $6,243.50.

tripod April 24

Tripod photo taken April 24, 2014.

Bethel Regional High School will earn $5,722.50 for their student ticket sales and Ice Classic database entry efforts. BRHS student activities groups that will benefit from the earnings this year are Music, Native Youth Olympics and Special Olympics. Staff are still entering guesses into the Ice Classic database.  The database should be complete before the river breaks up, which means the winner announcement should be made soon after the tripod’s movement stops the Ice Classic clock.

The Breakup Bash Celebration, sponsored by BCSF, will take place at the riverfront. An announcement about the time for the Breakup Bash will happen after the Ice Classic clock is stopped. Most years, the celebration happens the same day the river breaks- but that is dependent on the time of day that the river goes out.

 

 

  

Ice Classic Ticket Sales & Guess Submission Closed for 2014

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The deadline of April 22, at 7 pm has passed for all Ice Classic ticket sales and guess drop-offs. Tickets can no longer be purchased and guesses can no longer be submitted.

Many thanks to Swanson’s and Crowley for selling tickets since March 31 and to AC for allowing BRHS students to sell tickets at the store, as well as ID Variety who also started selling tickets levitra online uk usa during the event.

Bethel Regional High School student activities will be the proceeds beneficiary this year. The winner will take home half of the earnings from all ticket sales. The winner will be the closest guess -without going over- to the time shown when the tripod movement stops the clock. Please note that the time that shows on the webcam featuring the tripod is not the official clock.

Watch for an announcement  in the next few days about the amount available for the winner!

Depending on the time the river breaks, the BreakUp Bash Celebration will happen the same day as breakup or the next day at the riverfront. Most years, the celebration is held on the same day the clock is stopped.