The John E. Myra Foundation - Generosity from the Land

There is a good chance that if you were shopping for home or farm supplies at Viets and Twamley Department Store in downtown Grand Forks in the late 1890’s, that you could run into Grand Forks County farmer and businessman John Myra.  John was of medium build with a determined nature and a face naturally weathered by farm life on the North Dakota prairie.  Through acquisitions, defaults, and foreclosures, he had become one of the largest landowners in the Red River Valley by the end of the Great Depression. Before Mr. Myra passed away in 1939, he set up the first private charitable fund of its kind in the State to administer his estate after his death.  The Foundation was to be incorporated and administered by trustees who would distribute earnings from the Myra Estate for charitable, character-building, and educational purposes to residents of Grand Forks County.  The land held in trust is currently leased to local farmers and the income generated from the farming operations is distributed to organizations in Grand Forks County according to the Foundation’s Mission.  Since its inception in 1941, the Myra Foundation has awarded grants within the County exceeding 13 million dollars.  In 2023, 71 organizations received $703,648.00 in life-enriching grants from the Myra Foundation. The Grand Cities Children’s Choir has been a fortunate recipient of Myra Foundation granted funds for over 20 years. Most recently, Myra Funds have helped to fund the Choir's two major "free to the public" yearly concert performances held in the Chester Fritz Auditorium. These concerts have featured the voices of thousands of children from Grand Forks County and surrounding areas over the past 22 years. Countless numbers of people have been able to enjoy the accomplished singers of the Grand Cities Children's Choir thanks to the generosity and hard work and determination of a “Man of the Land”… John Myra.  The Myra Foundation is under the Direction of its President, John Botsford.