Horsehead Community Development Fund and Horsehead Corporation in Palmerton extended a boost to the budget of area volunteer organizations.

The development fund was established to contribute to certain charitable projects in and around Palmerton and the surrounding communities.Fourteen area groups were presented a grant check recently during the 2014 dispersal of funds, held at the Palmerton Area Library."We thank you all for coming out this evening and we appreciate your continued interest in the Horsehead Community Development Fund grants. We are sincerely appreciative to Horsehead Corporation for their generous contributions to our community and surrounding areas," said Jim Wimmer, chairman of the board of directors.The incorporation of the development fund took place in December of 1989 and the first grants were awarded in May of 1990. Since then 789 grants have been awarded. Although 2014 was lower, the fund averages approximately 30 applications a year."We are very grateful for this. Each year our 4-H livestock entries grow. We have over 40 members and we need more space for all their animals and fowl. We will be using this money to build more pens. We are extremely grateful that they remember us each year," said Kristin Simmons, Carbon County Lion/Lioness Fair Association."I am accepting for the Slatington Library and we are just extremely grateful to Horsehead for the grant. We will use it on a new circulation system for the library," said Rosanne Pugh.As the recipients were given their individual envelopes they were asked to state what the money would be going toward.• Aquashicola Volunteer Fire Company, Chris Kegel: The purchase of a new port-a-tank to transport water.• Palmerton Holiday Lighting Committee, Joe Federanich: Final payment toward the Palmerton Christmas lights in the borough park and along Delaware Avenue.• Palmerton Community Band, Robbie Ahner: Support for the band.• Lehigh Gap Nature Center, Dan Kunkle: Funding for Palmerton and Northern Lehigh school children field trips.• Slatington Public Library, Rosanne Pugh: New circulation system for the library.• Meals on wheels, Darlene Nothstein: Funds to help with meals for approximately 70 to 80 members throughout the year served in Palmerton and the surrounding area.• Towamensing Soccer Club, Chris Allen: New goals to replace those destroyed by vandals.• Palmerton Area Basketball Training Program, Geno Roberts: To help fund the two-week long summer basketball camp, attended by approximately 300 children.• Palmerton Area Recreation Committee, Pam Andrews: To be used toward the insurance for the school recreation summer program.• The DimmickMemorial Library,Mariann Kmetz: A first year recipient of the grant, funds will go toward the update of the library.Also receiving checks were the Lehighton Band and the Lehighton Area Memorial Library.Each year the fund gives Challenge Grants. An organization must raise half of the grant first and the fund gifts the other half. The grants must be met in one year from the application acceptance.This year those grants were awarded to: Bowmanstown/Palmerton Baseball/Softball Association, with Matt Solt accepting; and the Carbon County Lion/Lioness Fair Association, Kristen Simmons accepting.