$500 – Downtown Driggs Association
The 2022 Youth Philanthropy students were honored to provide a partial grant of $500 to the Downtown Driggs Association for the purpose of purchasing equipment to keep volunteers and partners safe during large-scale annual Driggs trash pick-up events and streetscape improvement efforts.
According to a 2022 report from Teton Regional Economic Coalition, Teton Valley’s population has grown quickly over the past few years, by more than 2000 individuals between 2016 and 2021 alone. The population is expected to increase by 18.3% between 2021 and 2026. As the resident population rises along with out-of-state visitation, so does trash build-up on Driggs city streets. Roads filled with debris create a safety hazard for cars driving on them, while pedestrians are also at risk of getting cut by or tripping over debris. In addition to providing cultural events and streetscape beautification efforts, Downtown Driggs Association has been working to keep city streets safe and clean for the past four years through numerous clean-up events. The events often require that volunteer activities take place near moving traffic as they pick up trash and debris and perform beautification projects. To further manage the risk to volunteers, DDA requested funding for safety equipment such as orange traffic cones, high visibility safety vests, and gloves. The Youth Philanthropists recognized the importance of DDA’s trash pick-up/beautification efforts and the need to protect the volunteers that perform those services from oncoming traffic and dangerous litter. The students were pleased to award this grant to achieve those goals.
