Governor Pete Ricketts signed a proclamation declaring the week of April 22nd-26th as Community Development Week in the state of Nebraska.
According to a press release from th Governor's office. “Community Development Week is an opportunity to celebrate the hard work by people across our state to create a great quality of life in their communities and grow Nebraska,” said Governor Ricketts. “It’s also a week when we acknowledge the federal, state and local resources, as well as the partnerships and local support, that make community and economic development achievements possible. Thank you to everyone on the team who is helping make our state the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family.”
Community Development Week (CD Week) is celebrated across the nation each year to acknowledge the impacts of community-building programs such as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Fund (HOME). These and other resources help communities carry out meaningful projects that enhance citizens’ quality of life. CD Week also acknowledges the partnerships and local engagement that make community development projects possible.
Officials from the entitlement cities of Bellevue, Grand Island, Lincoln, and Omaha joined Governor Ricketts at the ceremony to present awards on behalf of their respective communities.
Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike presented the Community Development Award to the Bellevue Junior Sports Association (BJSA) for its Participation Assistance Program. BJSA was founded with a focus on children and sports, and works to address the unmet needs of children through volunteer support, fundraising, and a youth-oriented community center. Funded in part by CDBG, the Participation Assistance Program provides scholarships for low-income families to help offset the costs of youth sports participation. Working closely with the City of Bellevue's CDBG Program Administrator Abby Highland, the program has assisted at least 35 families to date. BJSA Director Matt Goetz and Board Member Candy Dolezal were on hand to accept the award.
Here is the link to the entire press release issued by the Office of Governor Pete Ricketts https://governor.nebraska.gov/press/gov-ricketts-proclaims-community-development-week