SPY's Newsletter 1/23/20

Thank You SPY Event Leaders!

The Sunfield Area Sponsors of Programs for Youth (the SPY’s) send out a BIG thank you to of our various project and event leaders for their willingness to step forward and take on these various tasks.

In case you ever need more information on something that is going on, or would like to volunteer to help out, just give them a call.

· Wild Game Dinner / Sportsmen’s Night---Pete Weller

517-743-1642

· Texas Hold ‘Em’s---Wendel Peabody 517-449-6018

· Centennial Acres / SPY Shootout Golf Tournament---

Steve Grosshans 269-838-6459 and

Derek Desgranges 269-838-7686

· Community Celebration Calendar---Rosie Best---517-331-0836

· Adopt-A-Highway---Derek Desgranges 269-838-7686

· Euchre Tournament---Casey & Beth Shettler 517-231-2192

· Christmas Basket Distribution---John Fisher 517-648-0969

· Scholarship Review Committee---Mandy Grosshans 269-838-3077 and

Betsy Gibbs 517-736-4474

· Softball Tournament---Craig Cappon 517-331-4005

· We are still searching for a special person or persons to step forward and take over the SPY’s Dime Pitch Booth activity.  The SPY’s Dime Pitch Booth is one of the highlights, especially for kids, at the Farmer’s Picnic.  Not to mention it’s a nice little money-maker for the SPY’s.  After a number of years doing a fantastic job of chairing this event for the SPY’s, Jody Root is retiring from her post.  So, we are looking for someone(s) who would be interested in stepping-up and volunteering to take over heading-up the Dime Pitch Booth.  (It only operates for two days at the Farmer’s Picnic, and there is lots of help!).

If you would like to volunteer, please give our President Steve Grosshans a call at 269-838-6459.  Or, if you would like more information as to what’s involved, just give Jody a call at 517-231-8956.

Recent Memorial Contributions

Recent memorial contributions came in from:

Jeannine Rogers gave in memory of Millie Peabody.

Barbara Darling donated in memory of Millie Peabody.

Tammy Wakley donated to the Steve Wakley Memorial Scholarship Fund in memory of Millie Peabody.

Bob & Audrey Piercefield donated in memory of Millie Peabody.

Contributions to the Kylie Erdman Memorial Scholarship Fund were made by:

Glen Rairigh

Johnna Anthony

Mapes Furniture Company

Benefit Pancake Breakfast.

From The Mail Bag

What follows are a couple of email testimonial notes we received recently:

“This is sure a wonderful and worthwhile organization and I’m proud to live in the community that does such fine work for our kids!” 

(Diane Haskin)

“Congratulations and thanks to all of the SPYS for your dedication to supporting the local young people. What a difference you have made in so many lives.”  (Jill Van Antwerp)

Thank you Diane and Jill for your kind thoughts!

SPY’s Salute Paul & Marci Teachworth

At the SPY’s Annual Meeting of the Membership held recently at the Centennial Acres Club House, the SPY’s organization and a grateful community, presented a well-deserved 2019 Outstanding Achievement Award to an outstanding couple---Paul & Marci Teachworth.

The desire to volunteer is perhaps our most precious gift.  It surpasses charity, because charity in many instances is giving of our surplus.  Volunteering is freely giving of all our capabilities. Volunteers do not necessarily have the time---they just have the heart.

Back on March 10, 1990, due to the fact that between the youth and adult leagues playing summer ball here in Sunfield, there was a great need for coordination between the many programs. To answer this problem the SPY’s created the Sunfield Summer Athletic Association. 

The SPY’s would provide all of the funding for the youth programs, and still do, and the SSAA would do the game scheduling; field coordination; and administration.

Over the years, the adult leagues melted away, so the SSAA focus became solely the youth programs.  As time went on, adult involvement in the SSAA began to wane and it became more and more dificult to get people involved. 

In recent years, a number of problems racked the SSAA and it looked like it might colapse altogether.  Putting it bluntly, the SSAA was a mess.

Fearing that the local summer ball programs were in jeopardy, and there was a push afoot to have Sunfield kids go to other communities if they wanted to play ball, a small number of concerned citizens got together to try and resurrect the program and get the SSAA affairs and structure back to where they should be. 

After much hard work and a change in leadership I am happy to say the effort was successful.

Two people that have played a rather significant role in getting the SSAA back on track are Paul and Marci Teachworth.

Paul is currently the SSAA President, and Marci is the Treasurer.  Their tireless efforts for the SSAA and the kids ball programs are nothing short of miraculous!