Friends of Lynwood Park National Finalist in $25,000 Grant Program

Friends of were selected as finalists in the State Farm Cause An Effect program.

Neighbors can rally behind the Cause and help bring $25,000 to their community by voting via the State Farm® Facebook Page.

From now through May 17, supporters are encouraged to visit the Cause An Effect app on Facebook and vote for their favorite local Cause. People can search by Cause name, location or topic, and can vote up to 10 times per day. The 40 Causes that receive the most votes will each receive a $25,000 grant to help build safer, stronger, better educated communities.

“We were thrilled to learn that Friends of Lynwood Park was selected as a national finalist in this challenge said State Farm spokesman Justin Tomczak in a prepared statement. “Now we need our neighbors and community to rally around and support this/these local cause(s) by voting. Together we can bring home a $25,000 grant and create a lasting Effect in the areas we call home.”

Friends of Lynwood Park was one of the 3,000 Causes submissions State Farm received through Cause An Effect, a youth-led, crowd-sourced philanthropic initiative that relies on local, non-profit organizations to create solutions to community issues identified by people who use Facebook. The State Farm Youth Advisory Board, a diverse group of 30 students who are passionate about social responsibility, reviewed the Cause submissions and helped State Farm select the top 100 finalists. State Farm then identified and paired nonprofits with each Cause.

Friends of Lynwood Park is a group of Lynwood Park community residents who have joined together with the shared goal of improving the community’s park.  The group is working through the not-for-profit Park Pride organization and Dekalb County in developing short-term and long-term goals that will benefit the neighborhood for years to come.  Friends of Lynwood Park would use the $25,000 for new playground equipment for neighborhood families and those families who utilize the nearby community center.

The 40 Causes that receive the most votes will be announced on May 22, and a $25,000 grant will be awarded to the affiliated community nonprofits. These nonprofits will create and execute a plan to address the Cause; the Cause submitters can be as involved as they choose to be in this process.

For more information on the local Causes finalists or a complete list of the top 100 Cause An Effect Causes visit the State Farm Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/statefarm) or search #causeaneffect on Twitter.