Nevada mining companies donate over $200K to support rural businesses

CARSON CITY, Nev. — A group of central Nevada mining companies has come together to donate more than $200,000 to help small businesses in small, rural towns make it through the pandemic.

The program was started after Kinross Round Mountain called Paul Miller of the Southwest Central Regional Economic Development Authority, according to a June 1 press release from the USDA Rural Development Nevada in Carson City.

“We wanted the funding to go directly to keep these businesses going so they can reopen and keep employees,” Emily Hendrickson, Kinross Round Mountain's Corporate Responsibility Specialist, said in a statement. “We know these businesses are incredibly important to the local economy and make all the difference to live in these communities.”

Kinross and Gemfield Mine each donated $100,000 to the program designed to help small businesses including restaurants and bars like the Dinky Diner in Goldfield.

Patty Herzog of the Governor's Office of Economic Development said Corvus Gold, Bullfrog Gold and Angelo Gold Ashanti Americas have all made donations.

“Many of these small businesses are just hanging by their teeth and the owners are telling me this grant program will help them to hold on for a little while until the state reopens,” Miller said.

The goal is to provide grants of up to $5,000 to individual businesses in Esmeralda and northern Nye counties. As of June 1, 31 businesses had received grants.