WATERTOWN — A new nonprofit foundation created by White’s Lumber & Building Supplies has a mission of “Helping Neighbors Build Neighborhoods.”
The foundation is built upon the bedrock support shown for nearly 20 years at White’s annual contractor golf tournament, which attracts participants from across the north country. The invitation-only event is held on the first Friday after Memorial Day.
Sarah Cleaver, co-owner of White’s Lumber & Building Supplies, said that previously, funds raised at the benefit golf tournament and donated by the company were typically in partnership with other organizations, like Thousand Islands Habitat for Humanity, and funds were commonly allocated to a single project.
With the creation of the White’s Lumber Foundation, that has changed. Funds raised will now be distributed throughout the year to a multitude of local projects in Northern New York that fit the fund’s mission: “Helping neighbors build neighborhoods.”
“We realized there are more specific needs in each of our communities,” Ms. Cleaver said. “We’re just trying to figure out how we can reach more people. We changed our direction so that we can impact more lives.”
In addition to Watertown and Clayton, White’s has a building supply store in Gouverneur and Pulaski. Earlier this year, White’s opened a paint store on Arsenal Street in Watertown.
“This new foundation gives us the opportunity to help highlight some of the lesser-known causes in our community,” said Bradford A. White, President of White’s Lumber. “There are so many people with innovative, local projects that could use a boost, and with the new foundation, we can help.”
The company is operated by fourth- and fifth-generation owners. They are siblings Bradford, Roger and Jonathan White, and Ms. Cleaver. Her two sons, Matthew and Patrick, are also involved in the business.
“Because we’ve been here for so long, we wanted to continue being a presence in the community and helping to make it better,” Ms. Cleaver said.
“The easiest way to do that was through the foundation,” Jonathan White said. “The foundation is relatively new. But the history goes back for so many years.”
In the past couple of years, funds raised at the golf tournament have branched out to support other concerns, such as food pantries.
The first official charity event of the new foundation was this year’s annual contractor golf tournament, held at Watertown Golf Club. In its 18 years, it has mainly been held at Willowbrook Golf Club. The tournament will continue to be the foundation’s main revenue stream.
The top team at the 2021 event consisted of Mike Nevin, John Nevin, Andy Marks and Shawn Thomas.
In addition to funds raised by the event, White’s gives an annual donation, often matching the amount raised. This year $13,000 was raised at the tournament and White’s matched that amount.
“That’s pretty average for what we’ve done over the years,” Ms. Cleaver said of the company’s donation.
Three organizations have had their grant requests to the foundation funded, Ms. Cleaver said, through the applications submitted.
Those nonprofits: Ministries in the North Country, a rural rehabilitation program sponsored by the Presbytery of Northern New York; Friends of the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center on Wellesley Island; and Friends of Camp Hollis in Oswego, which has a main focus of providing a summer camp experience to youth ages 6 to 14.
Projects don’t have to be related to building structures.
“It could be feeding people, building, educating,” Jonathan White said. “Whatever the organization partakes in.”
Local nonprofit and cause organizations are encouraged to apply for assistance through the White’s Lumber Foundation’s new website: whiteslumberfoundation.com.
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September 19, 2021 at 04:07AM
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White's Lumber Foundation created to help neighbors & neighborhoods - NNY360
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