Amazon Web Services has awarded $200,000 in grants to 28 Richmond County organizations through its Richmond County Community Fund.
Community Investment Tied to $10 Billion Data Center Project
The funding is connected to AWS’s $10 billion investment in a 20-building data center campus in the Energy Way Industrial Park near Hamlet, North Carolina.
At a celebration event in Hamlet, Amazon officials emphasized their commitment to being a long-term community partner. The grants, which can total up to $10,000 per organization, support schools, nonprofits, emergency services, and community groups.
Education and Workforce Development Highlighted
Among the recipients is Discovery Place Kids–Rockingham, which will use its funding to support its Cradle to Career initiative. The program introduces middle school students to STEM concepts, teamwork skills, and workforce readiness training.
Other grant recipients include Richmond County Schools, Richmond Community College, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, Hamlet Fire Department, and multiple local nonprofits.
In addition to the grants, Amazon previously announced plans to help fund a new Hamlet Fire Department substation on the data center campus to serve both the facility and surrounding area.
The investment signals continued economic development activity in Richmond County and growing regional impact across the Sandhills.
