WEST ISHPEMING — Promoting healthy living is what one local non-profit organization is all about.

The Western Marquette County Health Foundation awarded $60,000 in grants this afternoon to a couple schools and the U.P. Diabetes Outreach Network. UPDON received a grant for ten thousand dollars. That money will go towards raising diabetes awareness throughout the county.

NICE Community Schools has used the grant money the last several years towards a full-time nurse for the district.

“It allows us to do a lot of health education, rather than just responding to illnesses or the normal things that go on day-to-day in a school,” said NICE Superintendent Bryan DeAugustine. “It allows us to do some teaching and allows kids to learn a lot about healthy living.”

The Foundation has been able to grant over 350 thousand dollars to various organizations the last three years.