WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue student organizations and campus offices are eligible to apply for grants in order to sponsor substance-free events and activities during this year’s Grand Alternative, which will take place April 19-26, 2009.

The Drug-Free Coalition of Tippecanoe County has awarded $5,483.50 to the Office of the Dean of Students for mini-grants to help offset the costs for organizations hosting substance-free events during the annual event, said Carol E. Ben-Davies, assistant dean of students.

The Grand Alternative was conceived in 1998 when Steve Cain, a campus minister at the Wesley Foundation, initiated a communitywide coalition of student groups with the goal of celebrating the Grand Prix safely and without alcohol. Grand Alternative got its official start in 1999 with a grant from the Coalition for a Safe and Drug-Free Tippecanoe County.

The Grand Alternative is a collaboration between the Office of the Dean of Students, Student Wellness Office, Division of Recreational Sports and the Wesley Foundation.

All recognized student organizations in good standing are invited to apply for the mini-grants.

There will be two informational meetings to explain the application process. A representative of any interested organization must attend one of the sessions. The first will be offered at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday (Jan. 21) in Stewart Center, Room 314, and the second will be offered at 5:30 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 22) in Stewart Center, Room 320.

Grant applications are available at http://www.getinvolved.purdue.edu/Community?action=viewOrgNewsItem&orgID=877&itemID=332 and need to be submitted by Feb. 13.

For information about the grants, the events or to include your Grand Alternative event in the official listing, contact Ben-Davies at (765) 494-4321 or sao@purdue.edu