Markham Mark of Distinction

Markham Vineyards Announces 2011Mark of Distinction Grant Recipients
Full details at Markham Mark of Distinction

Continuing on the impactful results of the past two years, we have again awarded two $25,000 grants to individuals or organizations committed to the betterment of their neighborhoods, cities or towns.

The 2011 recipients of the $25,000 grants are East Side Heart and Home (St. Louis, MO) and Operation: Connect Kids to the Outdoors (Denver, CO). Congratulations to both organizations! See Markham Mark of Distinction for full details on these submissions.

East Side Heart & Home has built 17 homes so far, with 11 being purchased, making the families of this neglected part of town into new homeowners. The goals of this program are to build one new home annually, provide home ownership and budget instruction and counseling, provide home management/maintenance training through the establishment of credit and equity for families, and to continue to support and provide positive change in stabilization and neighborhood growth.

Operation: Connect Kids to the Outdoors is a program run by The Cottonwood Institute (CI), an award-winning, educational, non-profit organization based in Denver, Colorado. CI is on a mission to connect diverse public school students to the outdoors and empower them to take action to improve their schools, the community and the environment for future generations. CI believes that students can't be expected to care about the environment if they never have a chance to explore the outdoors. Ci collaborates with schools and community organizations to deliver high quality, high impact environmental education and service-learning programs that are designed to strengthen leadership skills, civic engagement and environmental stewardship.

Markham Vineyards President Bryan Del Bondio presents a grant to 2011 recipient The Cottonwood Institute in Denver, CO, to be used for Operation: Connect Kids to the Outdoors.

The Markham Mark of Distinction program is designed to cultivate positive change by awarding funds to help spearhead or continue community efforts. Submissions range from repairing dilapidated parks, to funding research, to creating a community center. The public votes to determine two grant recipients, who will each be awarded $25,000 to make a lasting change – a “Mark of Distinction” – in their communities.

In addition to providing grants, Markham Vineyards also produces two single-vineyard, limited production Estate Cabernet Sauvignon wines appropriately named The Philanthropist and The Altruist in honor of the grant recipients. To celebrate and raise awareness of each, project information will is highlighted on the back labels of these wines.