Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland today announced that the Office of Rural Prosperity has opened applications for the second cohort of Rural by Choice Champions. Offered in collaboration with the Patterson Family Foundation, the Rural Champions program funds dedicated development assistance for rural communities that lack the capital, expertise or other resources to complete critical local projects.This cohort will be awarded a total of $610,000 to be used amongst 12 rural communities with 40,000 or less in population.