The Pisa Alpine Charitable Trust has secured a $150,000 grant from the Otago Community Trust, bringing its pool of cash to nearly $1 million.
Meanwhile, Tourism Waitaki general manager Annabel Berry was thrilled with an $80,000 donation for the Alps 2 Ocean cycleway project in the trust's latest round of grants.
The Pisa Alpine Charitable Trust wants to buy the Snow Farm cross-country ski area from Mt Pisa skifield operators Mary and John Lee and hopes to reach its fundraising goal of at least $2 million by September.
The trust has also received a $400,000 grant from the Queenstown Lakes District Council and $425,000 from the Central Lakes Trust.
The future land owner is likely to be the council, which will hold about 310ha as a public reserve.
The trust would be the leaseholder and manage access and the ski facility.
The 312km Alps 2 Ocean trail will extend from Mount Cook National Park to Oamaru, with the route taking cyclists past Lakes Pukaki, Ruataniwha and Benmore and the Elephant Rocks.
The cycleway has also received $2.75 million in Government funding through the New Zealand Cycle Trail project and it was hoped to open the trail in 2012, Mrs Berry said.
A grant of $75,000 for the establishment of a kindergarten in the Maniototo was a "fantastic" boost to fundraising for the facility, Central Otago Kindergarten Association manager Angela Jacobson said.
An application had also been made to the Lottery Communities Facilities Fund, the outcome of which would be known by the end of this month, she said.
"If we're successful with that application too, we'll be ready to go and we can get construction under way with a view to opening by February next year," Mrs Jacobson said.
The kindergarten establishment committee has had a good week, also winning the education and child youth development section of the TrustPower Central Otago community awards on Monday night.
The Central Cultural Centre Trust received $25,000 for its renovations to the Pioneer Park pavilion. The pavilion, housed within the Central Stories complex, will be upgraded to use as a lecture theatre and cinema.
The project, estimated to cost about $470,000, is a joint venture between the trust, the Alexandra Museum Board, which runs Central Stories, and Central Cinema, the group which wants to establish a cinema in the town.
