PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. (Oct 7, 2026) – Project Lighthouse partners, including Vantage, Oracle and OpenAI, along with Mel’s Charities, today announced a new $175,000 grant program to help fire, police and EMS agencies across Ozaukee County enhance equipment, resources and programs that will help keep the community safe. The Lighthouse partners are contributing $150,000 to the program, with an additional $25,000 from Mel’s Charities. Mel’s Charities, a local nonprofit with nearly three decades of community impact, will administer the program.
The program is intended to strengthen emergency response readiness by directing funding to practical needs that can be difficult for local agencies to cover through existing budgets. Grants may support aging or essential equipment, operational resources and other priorities that help first responders serve their communities. By supporting these needs directly, the program aims to enhance public safety and strengthen community resilience across Ozaukee County.
Mel’s Charities has been selected to administer the grant program and oversee distribution of funds to eligible agencies. Since 1999, it has distributed more than $3.1 million in grants and community support. As an independent, community-focused partner, Mel’s Charities will help ensure the program is administered effectively and reaches agencies with meaningful needs.
“The grant from the Lighthouse partners and Mel’s Charities is a tremendous commitment to the safety and well-being of our community,” said Ozaukee County Sheriff Christy Knowles. “This funding will provide our first responders with additional resources to better serve and protect those who live, work and visit Ozaukee County. I am grateful for partners who recognize that investing in public safety is an investment in the entire community.”
“Mel’s Charities is proud to be part of this important collaboration in Ozaukee County,” said Tom “Mel” Stanton, founder and executive director of Mel’s Charities. “Our 25+ year mission has always been about bringing people together and making a meaningful impact right here in the communities we call home. Supporting our first responders and helping provide them with the resources they need to keep our families, neighbors and visitors safe is exactly the kind of impact we are proud to stand behind and support.”
The grant program builds on recent community investments associated with the Lighthouse campus in Port Washington and Ozaukee County. It follows a $225,000 commitment earlier this year to relaunch the Port Washington–Saukville School District’s Education Foundation and a $60,000 contribution to restore Port Washington’s historic 1860 Light Station, reflecting a sustained focus on education, preservation and public safety as the campus continues to develop.
About Vantage
Vantage is a global provider of digital infrastructure serving AI and cloud innovators. With operations spanning North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage delivers capacity at speed and scale, driven by a commitment to operational excellence and customer success. Vantage is empowering transformative companies to shape the future.
For more information, visit https://www.vantage-dc.com.
About Oracle
Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud.
For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit www.oracle.com.
About OpenAI
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company. Its mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.
For more information, please visit www.openai.com.
Trademarks
Oracle, Java, MySQL and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. NetSuite was the first cloud company—ushering in the new era of cloud computing.
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