SURREY — The Aggie Foundation has announced the award of $5,933 to Surrey Public School District for the purchase of new uniforms for the boys varsity and junior varsity basketball teams and $2,000 to the Surrey Rural Fire Department.

The funds are the result of a partnership with Big Dog Saloon, a bar and grill located in Surrey. Aggie Foundation operates the charitable gaming within the Big Dog Saloon, distributing profits back into the community.

The partnership has allowed the bar and grill to support legacy projects within the community, specifically focusing on helping local students. In September, the Surrey Public District received $8,000 to purchase updated health curriculum.

Big Dog Saloon issued the statement: “Smaller communities don’t always have the funds to support the needs we have. There’s so much that needs to be done, especially when it comes to helping our kids. Extracurricular activities are important and updated curriculum is important. Through the Aggie Foundation, we can use these funds to help Surrey kids.”

The statement continued: “As we grow and build these charitable funds, we want to support as many projects as we can. In the future we hope to work with the school to establish some long-term goals. Even if it’s something that takes years, like fixing the school’s track, that’s something that we can look at and feel proud of. We take pride in supporting our school and our students and everyone in Surrey.”

The $2,000 provided to the fire department is an extra bonus for volunteers who are in the midst of a fundraising campaign. The surprise donation will be designated to providing volunteer firefighters with new gear. The Surrey department has 26 active members.

“We’re such a small community, and I’ve gotten to know all the people up at the Big Dog Saloon through various events, so it’s really awesome to have them be willing to help us out. Our small-town community is pretty hard to beat when it comes to supporting one another,” Assistant Fire Chief Seth Bartholomay said.