Nonprofits and community groups encouraged to apply for minigrants

Not-for-profit organizations and community groups whose programming is designed to promote active lifestyles for Oakland County residents have an extra week to apply for a Brooksie Way Minigrant.

The deadline was extended until Aug. 8 to give those interested in applying for a minigrant extra time to craft their application.

"I want to ensure community groups and nonprofits have enough time to get their applications in," Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said. "The minigrants provide important funding to many groups, helping support the fitness programming so vital to our residents."

The program has helped support more than 150 projects throughout the county that range from a martial arts club for young people with cancer, a community garden and adult yoga classes to summer basketball camps and swimming lessons for children. Since it began in 2010, more than $250,000 has been distributed. The maximum award is $2,000.

They will be awarded the week prior to the Sept. 23 running of the 2018 McLaren Brooksie Way Half Marathon. Minigrant guidelines and applications, as well as race applications, can be found at www.theBrooksieWay.com. Brooksie Way hats, shirts and bags can be purchased online too.

Patterson started the minigrant program to put proceeds from the McLaren Brooksie Way Half Marathon back into the community. The Brooksie Way races, which include a 10k, 5k and "The Lil' Brooksie" children's race, were named in honor of Brooks Stuart Patterson, a young father and the son of the county executive, who died in 2007.

The 11th running of the McLaren Brooksie Way is set for Sept. 23. The race, which can be run or walked, has become one of the most popular regional fall half marathons. The course begins and ends at the Meadow Brook Amphitheatre on the campus of Oakland University and includes parts of the Clinton River and Paint Creek trails, Rochester Hills and downtown Rochester. MLive readers named the Brooksie as one of the top courses in Michigan.

Published: Mon, Jul 30, 2018