Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

Pictured (L-R): Trent Brooks (MoDOT Central District engineer), Merry Thierry and Jeana Walters (accepting on behalf of Belle Project Graduation), Bonnie Prigge (MRPC Executive Director)

CUBA—The Central District Coalition for Roadway Safety and Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) awarded the Belle High School with a Project Graduation grant to assist with expenses for the drug and alcohol-free after graduation celebration for Belle High School seniors.

Schools in the Meramec Region were eligible to apply for the Project Graduation grant, which included cash, gift cards and educational incentives, valued at $400, that remind students to buckle up and arrive alive. Seniors and parents, who are planning the all-night event, along with school administrators accepted the incentives on behalf of the 2017-18 senior class. The Belle High School was one of nine Project Graduation grant recipients.

Bonnie Prigge, Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) executive director, and Trent Brooks, MoDOT Central District engineer, presented the incentives. MRPC is a member of the Central District Coalition for Roadway Safety and coordinates the Project Graduation/Docudrama mini-grant initiative through a grant from the Central District Coalition for Roadway Safety.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 23, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

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