Indiana’s First Bank of Berne donates $8K to local groups

First Bank of Berne in Indiana donated $8,000 to five organizations in January:.$3,000 to Portland, Ind.-based Arts Place, which provides experiences and education to local residents, artists and cultural organizations. Arts Place hosts Arts in the Parks, a series of summer arts workshops in 14 communities to introduce students 6 and older to experiences in the performing and visual arts. $2,000 to JRDS, a private nonprofit offering residential, community and center-based services for people with special needs. $1,000 to Markle (Ind.) Fish & Game Park. The group raises money for improvements and general maintenance for the park, which hosts softball games, swimming, car shows, summer concerts, family reunions and other events. The board has an annual fish fry to help fund the park. $1,000 to Festival of Hispanics, which takes place in downtown Decatur, Ind. The festival includes Hispanic cuisine, music, dancing and merchants. The donation helps fund the cost of renting the downtown Plaza and other event-related expenses. $1,000 to Creative Arts Council of Wells County, Ind., for programming and organizational operating expenses. The organization provides theater productions, dance, voice lessons and other programming.