This year's PoCo Foundation Awards were held on May 1st at the Michael Wright Gallery in Port Coquitlam. As usual, the event was attended by many of Port Coquitlam's community leaders and, as expected, a good time was had by all.

Community Cultural Development Investment Program Grants were handed out for both projects and community initiatives as follows;

Community Initiatives;

Diwali - Celebration of Lights in PoCo received $2,500 for its first-ever Diwali celebration event to be held in Port Coquitlam. This free community event featured dance, music, arts, and crafts and a Hindu Darshan exhibit and brought the community together through music, culture, and cuisine.

The Felice Choir received $2,500 for their 2023 concert Bella Luce which was held at the Terry Fox Theatre in May. The choir is composed of 25 women from diverse countries who make it their goal to make each performance a culturally enriching experience for their audience.

Troupe de Poetry received $900 to help with the cost of their fall and winter shows where local poets perform personal-themed poetry for live audiences.

Projects ;

Art Focus Artist's Association received $4,500 to help with their numerous ongoing projects throughout the year.

Hope Lutheran Church and School received a grant of $5,000 for their live presentation of the Christmas Story. This free event featured elaborate costumes and sets as well as live performances that portrayed each scene of the Bethlehem Walk.

Polonez Tri-City Polish Association received $5,000 to help with the cost of putting on their 17th annual BC Polish Festival which features Polish dance, music, art and culture and is the largest Polish festival in BC.

Red Fox Healthy Living Society which has two complementary missions: to promote healthy active living among children and youth, and to foster employment and life skills to youth who face barriers, received a grant of $5,000. Their programs also encourage environmental stewardship and promote indigenous culture.

Tri-City Mini Iranian Canadian Mini Soccer Society received a grant of $5,000 for their annual Sizdah Bedar celebration. Free to the public, this event celebrated dance, sport, music, and food.

UBC A.R.T. & Justice Program received a grant of $5,000 to help with their work to support holistic health, well-being, and dignity of currently and formerly incarcerated people in B.C. Many of their workshops have been held in the Michael Wright Gallery where the PoCo Foundation Awards were being held.

The first recipient of the newly created Theatre Society Legacy grant was the Community Art Council of Vancouver. They received a grant of $2,500 to help with the creation of a touring expedition made up of outside artists based in the downtown eastside and across metro Vancouver.

DreamRider Productions also received a Theatre Society Legacy Fund Arts Grant of $2,500. This program teaches kids to be change-makers and to protect the planet with a focus on energy conservation, active transportation, and climate adaptation.

Sing Canada Harmony received a grant of $2,000 for All Voices in Harmony - A Barbershop Quartet Festival which took place at Terry Fox Theatre in Port Coquitlam.

Tri-City Wordsmiths received a grant of $3,000 for their Tri-Cities Writes and Reads Festival 2024. This free event included activities for everyone from novices to professionals of all ages.

PoCo Foundation Community Grants were also awarded to Best Buddies of Canada ( $3,000), Community First Foundation ( $4,100), People's Pantry Food Recovery Society ( $4,145), and Youth Empowering Youth ( $4,000 ).