Clarendon Hall awarded Monsanto grant from farmer to improve tech

FROM STAFF REPORTS

SUMMERTON - County farmer Troy Allan of Oak III Farms directed a $2,500 grant to Clarendon Hall as part of the America's Farmers Grow Communities program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. Allan, a Clarendon Hall graduate and former board trustee, said in a news release, "I want to thank Monsanto for offering these grants to support local communities. I am committed to Clarendon Hall and am happy to direct this donation to the school where my wife, Shannon, and I, along with our children, Addison and Gavin, graduated."

Clarendon Hall will use the money to improve technology.

"We are most appreciative of this grant which we will use to purchase more computers for our students. I express my deepest gratitude to Mr. Allan and the America's Farmers Grow Communities program for their generosity and commitment," Phillip Rizzo Jr., Clarendon Hall headmaster, said in the release.

Since the program began in 2010, the Grow Communities program has partnered with farmers to support nonprofit organizations important to them in their local communities. The program has given more than $29 million to farming communities since its inception, including more than $3 million in 2018. Each year, farmers enter for a chance to direct a $2,500 donation to a nonprofit they care about in their community. The organizations reflect the makeup and character of rural America, including emergency response organizations, schools, youth agriculture programs, food banks and many others.

"Farmers play a pivotal role in rural communities, and through their commitment to the Grow Communities program, we are able to provide the monetary support these nonprofit organizations need to make an impact," said Al Mitchell, Monsanto Fund president, in the release. "We're proud to play a part in helping these rural communities grow and thrive."