William and Clara Woolard of Washington have been selected as winners in the America’s Farmers Grow Communities program, which gives farmers the opportunity to win $2,500 for their favorite local nonprofit organizations. The Monsanto Fund sponsors the program, and winning farmers designate a local nonprofit organization to benefit from the donations. The Woolards have designated Broad Creek EMS to receive the award in Beaufort County. Broad Creek EMS President Robert Freese said the funds would assist in upgrading their emergency monitors, enabling responders to be better prepared to treat a patient.The $2,500 donation was awarded at a check presentation ceremony held Wednesday, April 13, at Broad Creek EMS in Washington. William and Clara Woolard, supporters and members of Broad Creek EMS and local Monsanto representative James Marsh participated in the ceremony. North Carolina farmers in 43 counties had an opportunity to win $2,500 for a local nonprofit organization, resulting in a donation of more than $107,500 by the Monsanto Fund to those areas in 2011. During the National Expansion, farmers in more than 1,200 eligible counties across 38 states were eligible. The Monsanto Fund expects to invest more than $3 million in local communities. Previous Grow Communities projects resulted in the donation of nearly $1.2 million in 477 counties in Arkansas, California, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and South Dakota. In total, more than $215,000 has been donated to nonprofits in North Carolina. The America’s Farmers Grow Communities program is part of a broad commitment by the Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of Monsanto Company, to highlight the important contributions farmers make every day to our society by helping them grow their local communities. To date, more than 60,000 farmers participated in the program. (Contributed Photo)