LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa. — Seven Lehigh Valley-based non-profit organizations will be awarded more than $155,000 for community improvement projects under the 2006 Mack Community Grants program.

A review committee of Mack employees chose the projects out of more than sixty proposed community improvement proposals. The committees selections were based on a range of criteria, including the extent to which the proposed improvements reflect Macks core corporate values of quality, safety and care for the environment.

The 2006 recipients of Mack Community Grants funding include:

Adult Literacy Center of the Lehigh Valley $22,380 to establish a computer-assisted literacy learning center at its location in Allentown.
American Cancer Society PA Division, East Central Region, Lehigh Valley $25,000 to purchase a vehicle for its Road to Recovery program and promote the availability of no-cost transportation for individuals in need of transport from their homes to and from cancer treatments at area hospitals.
Burn Prevention Foundation $25,000 to establish a video-based home fire escape planning education module and distribute it to all middle-school classrooms in the Lehigh Valley.
Minsi Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America $8,500 to install a lightning detection system for each of their resident and day camp sites, as well as weather stations for the three resident camps to incorporate weather science into their activities. The proposal also calls for sharing the detection systems information quickly with other youth camps nearby.
National Canal Museum $25,000 to create an educational program for grades K-12 on geothermal energy, utilizing the technology at use in the museums Emrick Technology Center in Hugh Moore Park in Easton.
Valley Youth House $25,000 to establish an Adventure Course at the agencys Camp Fowler Center for Excellence in Therapeutic Recreation near Orefield, in order to provide leadership development and experiential learning opportunities for at-risk young people in the area.
Wildlands Conservancy $25,000 to create a series of Greening of the Lehigh Valley workshops, aimed at the general public, government officials, and community leaders, to highlight the unique natural resources in the Valley and offer tips on how to preserve, protect and enhance their communities.

During the past two years, Mack has contributed more than $250,000 to community improvement efforts through the Mack Community Grants program.