The Latvian Foundation has announced a dozen winners of small grants and plans for marking its 35th anniversary with a November meeting in Rīga.

The 35th anniversary annual meeting is scheduled Nov. 12 in Rīga. The foundation, formed in 1970 as an exile organization based in Canada and the United States, now has three of its board members living in the capital city of independent Latvia.

Any foundation member considering attending the meeting is asked to contact Chairperson Aija Abene by e-mail at aijaabens@gmail.com.

The foundation’s board of directors, meeting April 16 in Toronto, approved 12 of 23 proposals for grants of USD 2,000 or less. They include:

• Publication of the second volume of work by Latvian-American exile poet and cultural historian Jānis Krēsliņš.
• Production of a compact disc by the folk music ensemble Sudrabavots of Washington, D.C.
• Acquisition of teaching materials for the Stariņš Kindergarten and preschool of Chicago.
• Production of a compact disc by the bagpipe and percussion group Auļi of Rīga.
• Support for the Saulgrieži summer high school in Latvia.
• Production of a compact disc based on a cycle of folk songs from Latgale province in Latvia.
• Support for the 10th folklore festival in the Sēlija region of Zemgale province.
• Printing of the book Madonas novada kordziedāšanas vēstures II daļa (1940-1990), a history of choir singing in Madona, Latvia.
• Enlargement of the collection in the Aknīste city library in Latvia.
• Support for the folklore summer camp Garā pupa.
• Support for “Tautas pedagoģija ikdienā,” a collection of educational activities for families with children, proposed by Līga Vimbsone.
• Support for a project examining the country tradition of vakarēšana (spending time together in the evenings), proposed by Maruta Krastiņa.

The board of directors also decided to present eight medium and three large projects—those seeking from USD 2,001 to USD 8,000 in funding—to a vote of the foundation’s membership. Balloting will take place in the fall before the November meeting.

In all, the foundation received 42 requests for funding in the 2005 program.

The foundation also has issued a plea for members to update postal and e-mail addresses. Abens, the chairperson, said the foundation is seeking addresses for the following members: Ruta Apsa-Abakuka, Richards Argals, Artūrs Barons, Jānis Belaglazovs, Marta Bergholds, Erna Bērziņa, Ludmila Bērziņš, Rolands Bērziņš, Emilija Bērziņš, Georgs Blumentals, Gvīdo Bočka, Jānis Bolis, Ilga Briedis, Andrejs Brinģis, Edmunds Brokāns, Daina Brumelis, Inga Brūveris, Laimdota Brūveris, Imants J. Bungs, Inta Butkus, Ivars Cenne, Jēkabs Cīrulis, Marcis Daiga, Daina Dreifelda, Gunta Dreifelde, Olga Drigants, Maija Dzenis, Anita Dzirne, Anna Eiduks, Tamāra Ešmits, Antonijs Francis, Māra Galens, Astra Galiņš, Jānis Geriņš, Pēteris Graube, Alfreds Grīnbergs, Austra Gulēna, Laima Gulēna, Dace Jagars Klimane, Jānis Komsars, Ilmārs Jankovskis, Ritvaldis Jankus, Pēteris Krūmiņš, Egons Kubuliņš, Mintauts Kukainis, Valdis R. Kukainis, Pauls Kupchs, Ernests Lācis, Māris Lācis, Ivars Leja, Edgars Liepaskalns, Gunārs V. Lucāns, Ruta Lucis, Alberts Lucs, Inta Maleja, Andris Matthews, Uldis Mednis, Ilze Mednis, Ivars Melngailis, Normunds Mieriņš, Pēteris Miķelsons, Jānis Mintiks, Rita Moore, Zintis Muižnieks, Jordis Niedra-Denisovs, Pauls Olte, Oskars Ozols, Andris Palejs, Olģerts Pavlovskis, Helga Petrashevich, Vilnis Plostiņš, Zinta Pone, Imants Purvs, Ilze Rēķis, Alberts Rieksts, Mirdza Ritums, Laila Robiņš, Ainars Rodiņš, Vilis Roga, Ella Rolavs, Magdalene I. Rozentāls, Ilze Ruke, Otto V. Rullis, Dzidra Rutenbergs, Margots Salenieks, Ēriks Savics, Sandra Sebre, Valda A. Siksna, Ilze Sile, Daina Siliņš, Maretta Staprāns, Andris Šteinbachs, Ivars Štelmachers, Silvija Stots, Edvīns Stots Jr., Zubīte Streipa-Glass, Vincents Šulcs, Ilga Zemzars Svechs, Edgars Šmits, Arnolds Ticmanis, Silvija Ūdris, Anna Ulis, Alberts Upeslācis, Jānis Vanags, Valdis Vilks, Jānis Zalīte, Imants Zeidlickis, Richards Zemnickis and Jānis Zibiņš, as well as representatives of 8th Latvian Song Festival in the United States, Gaismas Pils, the Jānis Grāvlejs Memorial Fund, Greenwood Printers, the Latvian Cultural Institute, LFK-Copenhagen, Sirdsapziņas Cietumnieki #1, Sirdsapziņas Cietumnieki #2 and the Windsor Latvian Society.