Bernzomatic And TV Home Rehabber Nicole Curtis Help Makers Make A Difference With The "Find Your Fire™" Community Grants Program

Program invites makers to use their creativity and curiosity for the greater good by entering projects for a chance to win grant funding

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Bernzomatic

Sep 29, 2016, 09:22 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Every day, makers use their talent, creativity and passion to build and create incredible things. With more than 135 million adults considering themselves makers¹, the movement is growing. Bernzomatic®, the industry leader in handheld torches since 1876, is inspired by makers and all they do – often using torches to fuel their creations in unimaginable ways. That is why today, the Bernzomatic brand is launching the second annual Find Your Fire Community Grants program, an initiative that will award $38,000 in grant support to community-minded projects fueled by the maker spirit.

TV Home Rehabber Nicole Curtis partners with Bernzomatic to launch the Find Your Fire Community Grants program. Submit a community minded maker project that involves the use of a torch in some way at Bernzomatic.com/Grants. The top three projects -- voted on by the public -- will receive a grant of $15,000, $7,500 and $5,000 plus Bernzomatic products to bring it to life.

The 2016 Bernzomatic Find Your Fire Community Grants program celebrates the creativity and curiosity of makers all across the country who want to use their talents to make a difference. We're looking for creative, community-minded projects that involve the use of a torch in some way. Get inspired and submit your idea, and we can help bring it to life.

Nicole Curtis – TV home rehabber, designer, and author of the upcoming book Better Than New – is partnering with Bernzomatic to invite makers, inventors, tinkerers, creators and artists from across the country to enter a project that benefits their community and uses a torch in some way for a chance to win the funding to help bring it to life.

"Makers have the capacity to greatly impact our world with their talents, but sometimes larger-than-life ideas never find their way off of a sketch pad and into reality due to lack of resources," said Curtis. "I believe we can truly 'make' a difference in the world around us, and am thrilled to partner with Bernzomatic on a program that helps provide funding to jump-start inspired projects. Saving old houses and rebuilding neighborhoods is my way of contributing – but I cannot wait to see how people use their passion and ideas to give back."

Whether it's a STEAM education program, a MakerSpace remodel, an art project for a community center, or an invention that solves a problem, visit Bernzomatic.com/Grants now through Oct. 31 to submit an idea that involves the use of a torch. Ten finalists will be selected, and then it will be up to America to vote for their favorites. The three finalists with the most votes will receive a $15,000, $7,500 and $5,000 grant respectively, plus Bernzomatic tools. The top submission will receive a working day with Nicole Curtis to kick-start their project. The seven remaining finalists will each receive $1,500 and Bernzomatic products.

"The maker community has been using torches for years to help bring their visions to life – from artistic patina to glass blowing to electrical work to fabrication and more. Even with the technology available today, it is still the most basic element – fire – that can help transform an idea into a reality," said Jennifer Fening, Bernzomatic spokesperson. "This second year of the Bernzomatic Find Your Fire Community Grants program is about honoring that spirit and providing an opportunity to get a project off the ground that is not only an expression of yourself, but can benefit those around you."

The program kicks off in the epicenter of maker culture – World Maker Faire in New York City. On October 1, Curtis will be in attendance to speak about her experience renovating old houses, upcycling materials and her commitment to working with local artists and the creative community, plus how anyone can use their talents to give back. Attendees can visit the Bernzomatic booth throughout the faire to take part in a torch activity on site, and find project inspiration.

To learn more about the Find Your Fire Community Grants program, and view the official rules, visit Bernzomatic.com/Grants.

About Bernzomatic

Bernzomatic, a Worthington Industries brand, has been the leader in the blowtorch category since 1876. With a passion for craftsmanship and creation, Bernzomatic believes in providing the right tools and inspiration to take on projects and redefine what you can achieve. Bernzomatic products set the standard in safety, durability and performance, and include handheld torches, fuel cylinders, butane lighters and project accessories that can be used on the job site, in the home and in the hands of those with a desire to create. Find your fire at www.Bernzomatic.com.

¹ Atmel Technologies

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