On Wednesday, the A.D. Makepeace Company awarded $123,000 in grants for 32 projects and programs benefiting several local communities, a good portion of which went to residents of Wareham.

The grants were made through the Makepeace Neighborhood Fund, established in 2004 to support education, community housing, historic preservation, the environment, agriculture, health care, and community services.

Before an audience of about 70 non-profit and municipal agency representatives gathered at the company’s Box Mill Hall in Tihonet Village, A.D. Makepeace Company President and CEO Michael P. Hogan, also a member of the Makepeace Neighborhood Fund Board of Trustees, announced each grant individually, providing an overview of the programs and recipients in what he called a “whirlwind tour.”

Board of Trustees Chair Christopher Makepeace opened the reception, saying, “The good news is people like you. You do the hard work.”

One special grant, to the Gleason Family YMCA for a program that seeks to teach all Wareham third graders how to swim, was awarded in memory of Steve Sabourin, the A.D. Makepeace Company maintenance supervisor and 38-year employee who passed away last January.

Mr. Sabourin’s widow, Michele, and son Karl were on hand for the awards, and they noted that Steve’s participation in the employees’ review of grant applications each year was a responsibility he took very seriously.

“It’s a humbling experience that Makepeace would do this, awarding a grant in his memory,” Karl told the crowd. “He truly was proud to work here.”

The Makepeace Neighborhood Fund grants aims to provide strong support for educational programs in Wareham. Among grants were funding for a new Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Academy at the Wareham Middle School, and support for the National Marine Life Center, Junior Achievement, Massasoit Community College, and the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences to provide programming in the Wareham schools.

Grants will also support the Head Start program operated by Cape Cod Child Development at the Oak Grove School, and Discovery Days at the Lyman Reserve for elementary school students, in conjunction with Mass Audubon, Trustees of Reservations, and the Wareham Land Trust.

In addition to the learn-to-swim program, the Gleason Family YMCA will receive funding for a program that pairs preteen girls who live at the low-income Woods at Wareham project with college-bound female high school students as mentors.

The A.D. Makepeace Company, located in Wareham, is the world’s largest cranberry grower, the largest private property owner in eastern Massachusetts, and a recognized leader in environmentally responsible land development and stewardship.