Participants smile at the Seniors and Students Trivia Challenge in Brushton on Jan. 26. (Provided photo — Brenda Collette)

LAKE PLACID — The community foundation for the Adirondack region has announced the recipients of its newest community-building effort.

Adirondack Foundation’s Kindling Awards are distributing $1,000 each to 30 nominees hosting community-driven gatherings, with an emphasis on non-traditional groups bringing people together in the winter months. Awardees, selected from among nearly 80 nominations, are spread across eight counties — Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Herkimer, Saratoga, St. Lawrence and Warren — and include events for people of all ages and interests.

“The Kindling Awards are named after the key ingredient in starting a warming fire that people gather around,” said Cali Brooks, president and CEO of Adirondack Foundation. “We selected events that will spark a renewed sense of optimism, joy and stronger relationships in our small towns.”

These included holiday celebrations, such as Old Forge Library’s all-ages Noon Year’s Eve Glow Party, which provided an opportunity to ring in the new year in a family-friendly environment without having to stay out until midnight. Winter carnivals, contra dances, potlucks and open mics are among the upcoming events.

In the town of Moira, the local senior center hosted a Seniors and Students Trivia Challenge in collaboration with Brushton-Moira Central School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions club.

“We filled the center with contestants and observers and it appeared that everyone had a great time,” said Brenda Collette, prevention specialist for Brushton-Moira Central School. “It was requested many times that this become an annual event. We couldn’t have done it as well without the Kindling Award, and it certainly brought people together on a cold winter day.”

“The number and variety of nominations we received was a testament to our communities’ creativity and desire to come together,” said Jennifer Russell, vice president of Grants and Program for Adirondack Foundation. “If there’s one thing we know how to do in the Adirondacks, it’s make the most of winter.”

The Kindling Awards were born from a partnership with the Trust for Civic Life, a nationwide philanthropic initiative aimed at improving civic engagement in communities across the U.S. Earlier this year, Adirondack Foundation was awarded a three-year grant to support work that brings people together and solves important problems in their communities. To learn more about the Trust for Civic Life, visit trustforciviclife.org.

For more information and to see the full list of award winners, visit adirondackfoundation.org/kindling-awards.