Photos by Mary Alice Murphy
Freeport McMoRan Community Investment Fund 2016 awards
Freeport McMoRan Community Investment Fund 2016 awards
Hurley Town Councilors Esther Gul and Freddie Rodriguez receive a check for their water project from Champion Erich Bower.
Freeport McMoRan Community Investment Fund 2016 awards
Champions Judy O'Loughlin and Grant Welker present a check to Santa Clara Clerk Sheila Hudman for the village's Splash Park.
Freeport McMoRan Community Investment Fund 2016 awards
Cliff High School Principal Dean Spurgeon and Ben Potts for STEM education from champions Kim Clark and Jeremiah Garcia.
Freeport McMoRan Community Investment Fund 2016 awards
Grant County Helping Seniors Stay Healthy receives a check from Champion Cathy Gojokovich for a collaboration among the county senior centers and the Western New Mexico University School of Nursing.
Freeport McMoRan Community Investment Fund 2016 awards
Because Champion Evangeline Zamora was unable to be there, Kevin Cook of the Freeport Community Foundation, presents a check to Lucy Whitmarsh for the MainStreet Plaza improvements for the Farmers' Market area.
Freeport McMoRan Community Investment Fund 2016 awards
Spurgeon and Jason Ping flank champions Jeremiah Garcia and Sean Ormand as they present a check to extend the vocational aspects of the Opportunity High School to Cliff School.
Freeport McMoRan Community Investment Fund 2016 awards
Imagination Library's Barbara and Loren Nelson surround their Champion Frances Kelly.
Freeport McMoRan Community Investment Fund 2016 awards
Southwest Center of Health Innovations' Alex Maus accepts from Cook a check for the Forward New Mexico's MCAT Plus And DAT summer academy.
Freeport McMoRan Community Investment Fund 2016 awards
Members from the Southwest Christian Center receive a check to build out their Archery Center from Ormand and O'Loughlin.
Freeport McMoRan Community Investment Fund 2016 awards
The awardees and champions.
Freeport McMoRan Community Investment Fund 2016 awards
From left are Cook and champions Ormand, Gojkovich, Kelly, Garcia, O'Loughlin, Clark and Bower.
On Thursday, April 28, awardees and their champions gathered to receive checks from the Freeport McMoRan Community Foundation's Community Investment Fund.
Kevin Cook, Freeport manager of community development, said it was the third year he had ahd the pleasure of handing out checks to organizations in Grant County. "We are recognizing nine organizations covering education, health and wellness, and economic and community development."
He recognized the members who serve on the board to review, score and recommend the awardees. They include Judy O'Loughlin, Jeremiah Garcia, Kim Clark, Sean Ormand, Frances Kelly, Cathy Gojkovich, and Grant Welker and Erich Bower of Freeport. Evangeline Zamora was unable to attend. "They serve, too, as champions to the awardees and are always ready to assist," Cook said.
Bower welcomed those attending to the CIF award ceremony. "Freeport is committed to partnership and working with the community. I am optimistic about the outlook for the company, with copper and oil and gas prices rising some."
Cook said Vice-President of New Mexico operations John Brack had retired March 31. "He was replaced in the interim by Craig Searcy. John has been supportive of community opportunities."
He asked the champions to prevent the checks, after he had read a letter from the Foundation President Tracy Bing saying the proposals had "met the criteria to provide for a sustainable community project."