SEBASTIAN – The application process to request monies from the Sebastian Clambake Foundation is underway and the City of Sebastian is considering applying for a new attendant’s building at the Skate Park.
“That would be nice,” Clambake Foundation Chairwoman Anjani Cirillo said of the city’s proposal. She added that the city does typically apply for Clambake funds.
In the past, the city has received approximately $25,000 to run electrical lines through Riverview Park and $6,000 for the flagpole in the median of Sebastian Boulevard. Councilman Eugene Wolff brought up the Skate Park at the last city council meeting and asked if the city could apply for funds to pay for the attendant at the park.
Clambake Foundation monies are allowed to go toward capital improvement projects only – construction, equipment and the like – no salaries, no programs, no maintenance.
City Manager Al Minner told the council that the city instead could ask for funds to rebuild the attendant’s shed at the Skate Park. The building is small and showing signs of wear and tear.
The Clambake Foundation will be accepting applications from organizations until June 4. After that, Cirillo is expected to review the applications, weeding through any that would not qualify, and then will pass the applications to the nine members of the Clambake Foundation.
During the summer, the applicants will make their request presentations to the foundation, after which the members will debate and select the applications they want to fund.
Over the years, the Clambake Foundation has funded two, sometimes three, applications. Last year, however, was different.
“This year they couldn’t decide,” Cirillo said of the crop of grant applicants, so the members funded six projects.
Each group received more than $10,000 except the Sebastian VFW, which had requested a lesser amount to finish one of its projects.
Application forms can be downloaded on the Clambake Foundation’s Web site, www.SebastianClambake.org. Though the form is still dated for 2009, Cirillo said only the deadline date has changed.
Applications can be either mailed back to the foundation, P.O. Box 780436, Sebastian, FL 32978 or e-mailed to sebastianclambake@hotmail.com.
