County grants fund stadium sound system, pet clinics, wrestling gear

A new sound system at Miner Stadium, a steady stream of spay-and-neuter clinics, and updated wrestling gear ended up in the same county conversation because Las Animas County’s grant dollars are being spent on projects residents can actually see.

At the April 7 work session, county commissioners reviewed how nonprofit grant money is moving from county accounts into programs that touch school athletics, animal welfare and youth sports. The mix was striking: one award helps improve the game-day experience at Miner Stadium, another keeps low-cost pet clinics going, and another buys wrestling gear that can affect participation and safety.

That spread matters in a county where public money is scarce and the needs are varied. The Las Animas County grant program is not a one-time gesture. County materials show the 2026 nonprofit application window opened Jan. 2 and closed Feb. 6 at 4 p.m., and county reviewers determine eligibility and award amounts based on available funds and demonstrated need. Awards can differ from what applicants ask for, which gives commissioners a direct role in deciding which projects rise to the top.

The county has used that discretion before. Earlier public reporting showed 2024 nonprofit grant recipients presenting funded projects during an April 2 commissioners work session, and county information has said the program draws from excess proceeds of a one-percent sales tax approved by voters in 2018. In other words, residents are seeing locally raised money recycled into local services.

The Miner Stadium sound system is one of the most visible examples. Better audio matters for Las Animas County School District events, where reliable equipment helps players, coaches and spectators alike and can make it easier to host larger gatherings. The spay-and-neuter clinics, tied to Noah’s Ark Animal Welfare Association, solve a different problem that is just as immediate in a rural county: pet overpopulation and limited access to affordable veterinary care. Updated wrestling gear keeps another youth program moving, showing that even relatively small grants can support student participation and school pride.

County officials have also pointed to other grant-funded work, including a road project backed by a $1 million Colorado Department of Local Affairs Energy Impact Assistance Fund grant plus county cash and in-kind labor. Together, the projects show a county government using grants as a practical tool, not a paper exercise, to keep visible services and community programs alive in Las Animas and Trinidad.