The arts and nature were the big winners from the most recent Giving Circle event orchestrated by the 100+ Women Who Care Door County.

Three grants totaling $31,000 were awarded to The Ridges Sanctuary, Door Shakespeare, and Birch Creek Music Peformance Center earlier this month. The grant for The Ridges Sanctuary was $15,500, while Door Shakespeare and Birch Creek Music Performance Center's grants were $7,750.

The Ridges Sanctuary Executive Director Katie Krouse says its grant will be used to maintain its program offerings and offer free and scholarship-supported programs for the community. Krouse said she is grateful for the awarding, adding that "Sharing The Ridges with the incredible 100+ Women Who Care community was unmatched. To be surrounded by a collective of women representing our community's wide expanse was beyond empowering."

Birch Creek Music Performance Center Executive Director Mona Christensen says the support given to the students by its grant goes beyond what you may see on stage. "Every student who attends Birch Creek leaves with a whole new set of skills, a boost in confidence, connections to a diverse music network of faculty from across the country that couldn't happen anywhere else," Christensen said.

For Door Shakespeare, the grant will help support the organization's Camp Will program that brings the arts to children. "There is nothing better than seeing a Camp Will camper leave a little taller than when they arrive," declared Amy Ensign, Producing Artistic Director, Door Shakespeare. "By providing a safe and supportive learning environment, our campers  are able to express their individuality, and at the same time find a common ground with their scene partners and the audience, which ultimately leads to helping them discover their own voice."

The 100+ Women Who Care will host their next Giving Event on July 22^nd at the Kress Pavilion in Egg Harbor, where they will hear from Horseshoe Bay Farms, Salvation Army-Door County Service Extension, and the Door County Food Pantry Coalition. Since July 2018, the 100+ Women Who Care Door County has awarded $565,000 in grants to 57 area non-profits.