ECGRA gives out nearly $200K to local organizations through Special Events Grants
Erie residents and visitors look forward to the region's summer months all year long.
The season includes several fairs, festivals and special events that promote a sense of community.
Many of these activities wouldn't be able to exist without a little financial boost, which is where ECGRA steps in.
Erie Insurance announces new $100 million charitable foundation
The authority is awarding nearly $200,000 to 44 organizations that arrange hundreds of events around the county.
'Special events create a sense of vibrancy in the community but they're also great leadership positions. The majority of these organizations are run by volunteers,' said Perry Wood, executive director of ECGRA.
The grants range from $425 all the way up to $15,000.
Two organizations that received the largest grants are Cafe for CelebrateErie and Lights Over Lake Erie, as well as the Jefferson Education Society for their programming and global summit.
Most of these special events are traditions for Erie residents, like the Italian Festival. This funding is one way to help keep their heritage alive.
'Everyone awarded today is helping to maintain the foundation of what it means to live in Erie,' said Brian Ferraro, with St. Paul Church's Italian Festival. 'Leading up to this year's festival on the 8, 9, and 10 of August, our community will come together and prepare for the celebration of the assumption of the Blessed Mother Mary.'
According to the authority, the special events grants fund up to 5% of events that take place within Erie County.
These events are open to the general public and promote the region economically and culturally.
Splash Lagoon offering free admission for firefighters on May 4
The funding also provides a variety of possibilities — Young Artist Debut Orchestra (YADO) will be able to participate in their organization's 16th annual Independence Day performance at the Erie SeaWolves.
'This event is considered a prime performance opportunity for any music performing arts group,' said Jessie Collura, executive director of YADO.
Wood said that some residents' most visceral memories are tied to Erie's events and festivals.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Upturn
2 days ago
- Business Upturn
Datta Power Infra backs young sports talent with Independence Day CSR initiative
By News Desk Published on August 16, 2025, 16:45 IST Datta Power Infra Private Limited, a leading name in renewable energy infrastructure solutions, marked India's 79th Independence Day with a special CSR initiative under its #DattaInfraCares campaign. Under the leadership of Managing Director Mr. Gagal, the company sponsored eight national and state-level student athletes from Rajkiya Ucch Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Gram Panchayat Kalasar, District Bikaner. These students, who have excelled across multiple sporting disciplines, are set to represent their region and India in upcoming competitions. As part of the initiative, the company has also provided the school with essential sports equipment including sluggers, practice balls, softball nets and poles, match balls, and players' training T-shirts. The support aims to strengthen the school's sports infrastructure and encourage young athletes to continue pursuing excellence. The initiative was spearheaded by the Datta Power Infra management team, reflecting the company's belief that nurturing grassroots talent is key to building a stronger and more inclusive India. By supporting these young sportspersons, the company highlighted its commitment to empowering future generations. Datta Power Infra stated that this Independence Day was not only about celebrating freedom, but also about creating opportunities and investing in the promise of a brighter future through sports. Ahmedabad Plane Crash News desk at
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
China's economy slumps amid Trump's trade war
China's economy suffered a sharp slowdown last month as Donald Trump's tariff blitz fuelled uncertainty among households and businesses. Retail sales missed economists' expectations while factory output growth slumped to an eight-month low in July, according to Beijing's National Bureau of Statistics. The pace of investment also declined in the first seven months of the year, while data revealed continued weakness in China's ailing property sector. Mohamed El-Erian, an economist at Allianz, said: 'China's latest economic numbers are likely to ring alarm bells in policymaking circles.' The latest downturn comes as the world's second largest economy faces mounting pressure from the US president's trade war. China and the US reached a temporary trade truce in May after both sides imposed tit-for-tat tariffs of more than 100pc. This was recently extended until November. However, uncertainty over tariffs appears to have fed through to consumers, with annual retail sales growth declining from 4.8pc in June to 3.7pc in July, which was much lower than the 4.6pc expected by analysts. Economists said consumer confidence has also been hit by the protracted slowdown in the nation's property sector, a key store of household wealth. New home prices fell by 2.8pc in July compared to the same month a year earlier, following a 3.2pc drop in June. Lynn Song, a ING economist, said: 'The accelerating downturn in property prices in the past few months signals that further policy support is needed. 'It's difficult to expect consumers to spend with greater confidence if their biggest asset continues to decline in value every month.' Meanwhile, China's factory production and day-to-day business operations have been disrupted by record-breaking heat as well as storms and floods across the country. Industrial output grew 5.7pc in July, which was the lowest reading since November and down from a 6.8pc rise in June. Investment in factory equipment grew just 1.6pc in the first seven months of the year from the same period last year, compared with an expected 2.7pc rise. Economists warned that China had become dangerously reliant on state spending to fuel growth. Xu Tianchen, of the Economist Intelligence Unit, said: 'The economy is quite reliant on government support, and the issue is those efforts were 'front-loaded' to the early months of 2025, and by now their impact has somewhat faded out.' Zichun Huang, an economist at Capital Economics, added: 'We see little reason to expect much of an economic recovery during the rest of this year. 'The lack of committing to any additional fiscal support in the latest Politburo meeting points to a fading fiscal tailwind.' Meanwhile, China is not the only nation showing signs of pressure from Mr Trump's tariff tirade. Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, urged the country to embrace 'self-reliance' in the face of US tariffs, which are expected to hit 50pc later this month. In an address on the nation's Independence Day, he said he wants India to manufacture everything from fertilisers to jet engines and electric vehicle batteries. 'Farmers, fishermen, cattle rearers are our top priorities,' Mr Modi said in his customary annual address from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
3 days ago
- Business Wire
DAT: Truckload volumes held steady in July as summer seasonality peaks
BEAVERTON, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Truckload freight volumes held steady in July as summer seasonality took hold, driven by produce and retail goods moving ahead of the Independence Day holiday, said DAT Freight & Analytics, which operates the DAT One freight marketplace and DAT iQ data analytics service. Volumes softened gradually through the rest of the month. The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI), which measures monthly loads moved, was flat compared to June and up modestly year over year: Van TVI: 249, down 0.4% from June, up 3% from July 2024 Refrigerated (reefer) TVI: 202, up 2% month over month, up 11% year over year Flatbed TVI: 314, down 3% month over month, up 8% year over year. 'The truckload market remains soft with no meaningful shifts in demand or capacity, aside from seasonal bumps and tactics by shippers managing tariffs,' said Ken Adamo, DAT Chief of Analytics. Rates showed mixed movement National average spot van and reefer rates inched higher as carriers sought to offset rising fuel costs: Spot van: $2.05 per mile, up 3 cents from June Spot reefer: $2.42 per mile, up 5 cents Spot flatbed: $2.55 per mile, down 2 cents Linehaul rates, which exclude an amount equal to an average fuel surcharge, were mostly stable. The van linehaul rate averaged $1.63 per mile, unchanged month over month. The reefer rate increased 2 cents to $1.96, and the flatbed rate slipped 6 cents to $2.04. The monthly average fuel surcharge increased by 3 cents in July to 42 cents for vans, 46 cents for reefers, and 51 cents for flatbeds — the highest this year. Prolonged soft market persists Contract rates mirrored the uptick in fuel surcharges: Contract van: $2.44 per mile, up 4 cents month over month Contract reefer: $2.78 per mile, up 4 cents Contract flatbed: $3.08 per mile, up 3 cents 'There are carriers with low cost structures and steady customers that are negotiating better contracts,' said Adamo, 'but in general, there's a feeling that volumes and rates are stuck. Barring some major event, there's nothing to suggest that's going to change any time soon.' About the Truckload Volume Index The DAT Truckload Volume Index reflects the change in the number of loads with a pickup date during that month. A baseline of 100 equals the number of loads moved in January 2015, as recorded in DAT RateView, a database tracking rates paid on an average of 3 million loads per month. DAT benchmark spot rates are derived from invoice data for hauls of 250 miles or more with a pickup date during the month reported. About DAT Freight & Analytics DAT Freight & Analytics operates the DAT One truckload freight marketplace; Convoy Platform, an automated freight-matching technology; DAT iQ analytics service; Trucker Tools load-visibility platform; and Outgo factoring and financial services for truckers. Shippers, transportation brokers, carriers, news organizations, and industry analysts rely on DAT for market trends and data insights, informed by nearly 700,000 daily load posts and a database exceeding $1 trillion in freight market transactions. Founded in 1978, DAT is a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 1000. Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, DAT continues to set the standard for innovation in the trucking and logistics industry. Visit for more information.
