VICTORIAN Premier John Brumby has announced more than $300,000 funding to keep the Stawell Gift in its home town.Visiting Stawell this morning, Mr Brumby said the government would provide the Stawell Athletic Club with $210,000 over three years to help it stage the iconic event.A further $100,000 would be provided to relocate the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame to the town's visitor information centre.''We understand how important this event is to the local economy and social fabric of the Stawell and Grampians region which is why we are committed to keeping the Stawell Gift in Stawell,'' Mr Brumby said.''Today's announcement...will put the investment and support in place to ensure that the Stawell Gift can be a viable, sustainable and iconic part of the rich calendar of major events regional and rural Victoria has to offer.''MEANWHILE, Mr Brumby will visit Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital later this morning to announce statewide funding for the Rural Patient Initiative.More to come.