(Grand Falls Casino sign - KIWA Staff Stock Photo)Larchwood, Iowa — The Lyon County Riverboat Foundation (LCRF) distributed $1.4 million in 2027 grant funds to 28 organizations across Northwest Iowa, Southeast South Dakota, and Southwest Minnesota during its annual competitive grant award ceremony last week at Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort. Approximately 120 representatives from nonprofit organizations, schools, and local governments attended the event.
Foundation officials say the foundation serves as a catalyst to help qualified organizations meet vital community needs, focusing primarily on Community Development & Beautification, Education & Arts, Economic Development, and Human & Social Needs.
Funding highlights from the 2026 awards include:
- Human & Social Needs: Thirteen organizations received a total of $740,000. The largest awards went toward a new fire department engine for Rock Rapids, water plant upgrades for the City of George, and Mission 34 for the Midwest Honor Flight.
- Education & Arts: Four projects shared over $100,000, with top grants awarded for transportation expansion at Project Youth in Rock Valley and floor straightening for the Rapids Theatre Preservation Society in Rock Rapids.
- Community Development & Beautification: Eleven organizations received over $550,000, highlighted by ambulance equipment updates for Osceola County Ambulance, station waterline upgrades for the Ashton Fire Department, and a community facility preservation project at the Rock Rapids Gun Club.
Funded through a portion of gaming revenues from Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort under Iowa law, the Lyon County Riverboat Foundation has distributed over $4 million in 2026 alone and more than $38 million since its inception in June 2011.
Find grants organized by amount and alphabetically below:
2026 Grant Recipients (Alphabetical Order)
| # | Organization | Project Description | Amount |
| 1 | Alvord Fire and Rescue Department | Alvord Fire & Rescue Grass Rig | $28,000.00 |
| 2 | American Legion Rex Strait Post #103 | American Legion Loan Closet Building | $28,634.98 |
| 3 | Ashton Community Fire Department | Station Waterline Upgrade | $80,000.00 |
| 4 | Brandon Valley Hockey Association | Locker Room Privacy Wall | $10,000.00 |
| 5 | Breathe Bravely | sINgSPIRE Session 31/32/33 | $10,000.00 |
| 6 | City of Alvord | Water Tower Infrastructure Safety Project | $59,600.00 |
| 7 | City of Doon | Doon Youth Baseball Facility | $30,000.00 |
| 8 | City of George | Water Plant Controls Upgrade | $100,000.00 |
| 9 | City of Rock Rapids | Southside Park ADA Dock and Sidewalk | $56,384.24 |
| 10 | Ellsworth Fire Department | Firefighter Turnout Gear and Pagers | $45,000.00 |
| 11 | Friends of Doon Foundation | SCBA/Air Tanks | $71,248.00 |
| 12 | George EMS | Project Lifeline | $56,698.17 |
| 13 | Golf for Injured Veterans Everywhere Foundation | Golf For Injured Veterans Everywhere | $30,000.00 |
| 14 | Granite Threshermens Association | Granite Heritage & Iron Building | $75,000.00 |
| 15 | Lester Fastpitch Softball Alumni Association | Ball Park Updates | $6,976.27 |
| 16 | Little Rock Town & Country Club | Batting Cage on Concrete Base | $11,565.00 |
| 17 | Lyon County Historical Society | Livery & Farming Buildings Rain Gutters | $6,991.00 |
| 18 | Lyon County Recorder | Veterans Discharge Record scanning | $996.00 |
| 19 | Lyon County Sheriff’s Office | Ballistic Shield Project | $46,537.50 |
| 20 | Matlock Fire Department | Air-Pak Replacement Project | $45,084.00 |
| 21 | Midwest Honor Flight | Mission 34 | $100,000.00 |
| 22 | Mustang Sports Boosters | Baseball/Softball Scoreboard Replacement | $30,512.00 |
| 23 | Osceola County Ambulance Services | Ambulance Equipment Update | $95,813.59 |
| 24 | Project Youth | Project Youth Transportation Expansion | $50,000.00 |
| 25 | Rapids Theatre Preservation Society | Floor Leveling and Straightening | $35,000.00 |
| 26 | Rock Rapids Development Corporation | Pickleball Courts | $44,825.00 |
| 27 | Rock Rapids Fire Coalition | Fire Dept Engine | $175,000.00 |
| 28 | Rock Rapids Gun Club | Community Facility Preservation | $79,000.00 |
| Total | $1,408,865.75 |
2026 Grant Recipients (Ordered by Grant Amount — Largest to Smallest)
| Rank | Organization | Project Description | Amount |
| 1 | Rock Rapids Fire Coalition | Fire Dept Engine | $175,000.00 |
| 2 | City of George | Water Plant Controls Upgrade | $100,000.00 |
| 3 | Midwest Honor Flight | Mission 34 | $100,000.00 |
| 4 | Osceola County Ambulance Services | Ambulance Equipment Update | $95,813.59 |
| 5 | Ashton Community Fire Department | Station Waterline Upgrade | $80,000.00 |
| 6 | Rock Rapids Gun Club | Community Facility Preservation | $79,000.00 |
| 7 | Granite Threshermen’s Association | Granite Heritage & Iron Building | $75,000.00 |
| 8 | Friends of Doon Foundation | SCBA/Air Tanks | $71,248.00 |
| 9 | City of Alvord | Water Tower Infrastructure Safety Project | $59,600.00 |
| 10 | George EMS | Project Lifeline | $56,698.17 |
| 11 | City of Rock Rapids | Southside Park ADA Dock and Sidewalk | $56,384.24 |
| 12 | Project Youth | Project Youth Transportation Expansion | $50,000.00 |
| 13 | Lyon County Sheriff’s Office | Ballistic Shield Project | $46,537.50 |
| 14 | Matlock Fire Department | Air-Pak Replacement Project | $45,084.00 |
| 15 | Ellsworth Fire Department | Firefighter Turnout Gear and Pagers | $45,000.00 |
| 16 | Rock Rapids Development Corporation | Pickleball Courts | $44,825.00 |
| 17 | Rapids Theatre Preservation Society | Floor Leveling and Straightening | $35,000.00 |
| 18 | Mustang Sports Boosters | Baseball/Softball Scoreboard Replacement | $30,512.00 |
| 19 | City of Doon | Doon Youth Baseball Facility | $30,000.00 |
| 20 | Golf for Injured Veterans Everywhere Foundation | Golf For Injured Veterans Everywhere | $30,000.00 |
| 21 | American Legion Rex Strait Post #103 | American Legion Loan Closet Building | $28,634.98 |
| 22 | Alvord Fire and Rescue Department | Alvord Fire & Rescue Grass Rig | $28,000.00 |
| 23 | Little Rock Town & Country Club | Batting Cage on Concrete Base | $11,565.00 |
| 24 | Brandon Valley Hockey Association | Locker Room Privacy Wall | $10,000.00 |
| 25 | Breathe Bravely | sINgSPIRE Session 31/32/33 | $10,000.00 |
| 26 | Lyon County Historical Society | Livery & Farming Buildings Rain Gutters | $6,991.00 |
| 27 | Lester Fastpitch Softball Alumni Association | Ball Park Updates | $6,976.27 |
| 28 | Lyon County Recorder | Veterans Discharge Record scanning | $996.00 |
| Total | $1,408,865.75 |
