SPY’s Community Newsletter #190
(4/19/22)
Adopt-A-Highway Trash Pick-up
Is This Saturday
As we have been reporting in the last couple of Newsletters, the first Adopt-a-Highway trash pick-up of the season will take place this Saturday, April 23rd. Volunteers pick-up trash along M-43 from Round Lake Road on the west side of town to Shaytown Road on the east side of town, three times a year in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Transportation program. ANYONE wishing to participate just show up at the Best Tax Service building on M-43 at
9 AM.
If for any reason you can’t make it for the April 23rd. pick-up day, but would still like to help out by doing some picking up on a different day of that week, just give Derek a call at 269-838-7686 and get some bags and he will give you a small section to take care of.
Volunteer Opportunity
We have a Texas Hold ‘Em event that the SPY’s are scheduled to work coming up on Wednesday, April 27th. through Saturday, April 30th. These events are a major source of funding for the SPY’s!
We are in need of some volunteers to work a shift at the event. Here are the slots we need to fill:
Wednesday 6:15 pm 10:30 pm FILLED
10:30 pm til Closing need 2 people
Thursday 6:15 pm - 10:30 pm need 2 people
10:30 pm til Closing FILLED
Friday 11:45 am – 3 pm FILLED
3 -6 pm FILLED
Saturday 11:45 am – 3 pm need 2 people FILLED
3 – 6 pm need 2 people
For further information about working the event, or to sign-up to take a shift (or two), please contact our event Chairman Jeff Gibbs by means of any of the following ways:
· e-mail at MSgtGibbs@Hotmail.com
· or via text at (517) 930-6989,
· or via voice message at (517) 566-3355.
If you have never worked a Texas Hold ‘Em event there absolutely is nothing to fear. It is easy, simple tasks that are involved. We are not “The House”, so we don’t deal cards, or gamble in any way against the players. The players compete against each other. The work we do simply amounts to selling and redeeming chips for the players at one end of the room. Once every hour someone goes out to the dealers and gets some chips from the dealers that is called “the rake”. That is all there is to it.
This Texas Hold ‘Em will be held in the Event Spot room that is located behind the Heavenly Ham store on the South side of Saginaw Street in Lansing, which is across from the Lansing Mall. Give Jeff a call at 517-930-6989 to volunteer for a shift, or to get more information.
SPY’s Sunfield Community Foundation News
Thirty-seven years ago the Sunfield Area Sponsors of Programs for Youth (the SPY’s) started a Scholarship Fund. They made the first awards in 1987 to graduating seniors. Since that time, the fund has grown through individual donations and memorial contributions by many fine folks. As the fund continued to increase, the SPY leadership began exploring ways and means to make sure that higher education financial support could continue to be offered to area youth even if the SPY organization should, at some point in time, cease to exist. That, of course, is nowhere on the horizon, but fifty years down the road, who knows.
So, back in April of 2003, the SPY.’s began the long arduous trail of endless paperwork with Federal and State agencies, a struggle that took almost two years to complete. That effort eventually brought about the formation of the “Sunfield Community Foundation.”
Once the framework of the Foundation was set, the SPY’s transferred all of the monies previously held in their Scholarship Fund to the Sunfield Community Foundation. The Foundation’s function is to serve as caretakers of the fund and to determine the amount of money that can be used from the fund each year for scholarship awards. These awards are based on the amount of interest and dividends the fund’s portfolio has generated the previous year. After this year’s awards are presented, a total of nearly $300,000 will have been awarded from the fund.
The SPY organization continues to oversee the annual scholarship application and selection process. In the last few years the overall scholarship program has been expanded to include scholarships or tool allowances for someone entering a trade; the awarding of the “Lade Military Service Medal” and a cash honorarium for someone entering the military service right out of High School; and the “Lenon Award” which is a cash award based solely on community service in the Sunfield Area.
In the beginning, in addition to the SPY’s, long-standing viable community entities were approached to see if they would like to name a representative to be part of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Those entities were the Sunfield Village Council, the Sunfield Township Board, the Sunfield United Methodist Church, and the Sunfield United Brethren Church. They all embraced the concept and agreed to provide a representative. The Foundation Board of Directors was officially formed in 2003,
The current members of the Sunfield Community Foundation’s Board of Directors are the following:
John Fisher, President (representing the SPY’s)
Lavon Hamp, Vice President (representing the United Brethren Church)
Shana Cappon, Treasurer (representing the SPY’s)
Walker Collins, Jr, Secretary (representing the SPY’s)
Robert Sandborn, Director (representing the United Methodist Church)
Robert Overholt, Director (representing the Sunfield Township Board)
Thomas Wacha, Director (representing the Sunfield Village Council)
Wild Game Dinner / Sportsman’s Night News
Pete Weller, who is the Leader---Chairman---and Head Honcho of this legendary event has quite a few fabulous new wrinkles planned for the February, 2023 event. We will be highlighting some of these in the weeks and months ahead.
But, what would really be helpful right now is to have some interested people get involved and volunteer to help out learning some of the facets that make the Wild Game Dinner / Sportsman’s Night so successful. It has become the #1 fund-raiser that the SPY’s put on, and is therefore critically important to the many youth and community projects and programs the SPY’s provide.
To find out more about what’s involved and needed, please give Pete a call at 517-743-1642.
Sound Therapy
Lynne Marie’s “House of Shama” is located at 28 Elm Circle Drive here in Sunfield. She has started a program utilizing “Sound Therapy” that she will be hosting every Wednesday evening from 7 to 9 PM. These sound sessions are $30 per person, and please be sure to bring your favorite pillow and blanket
THE BENEFITS OF USING CRYSTAL SINGING BOWLS
· Significantly reduces stress and anxiety.
· Stimulates the immune system.
· It assists with lowering blood pressure and anger.
· Deep relaxation and pain relief.
· Assists with chakra cleansing and balancing.
· Helps to calm overactive adrenals.
· Increases mental and emotional clarity.
Lynne Marie is a Certified Life & Health Coach. You can find out more by going to www.lynnemarieshouseofshama.com
Parting Comments
· Deep Thought of the Week: We are not aging---we are ripening to perfection.
· Notable Quote: "It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance."---Thomas Sowell
· That’s Puny Department: A huge stack of toilet paper fell on me the other day at Meijer’s. I’m OK though, just soft tissue damage.
· Did You Know Section: Denmark charges a tax of 180% on all new car purchases. They also charge $2,000 for a driver's license.
Notices
1. If there is any organization or business out there that has something they would like to advertise or promote, please feel free to submit it to this Newsletter and we will help publicize it. There is no charge. We are glad to provide this means as a public service to help keep the community informed.
2. If you are looking for further information about the SPY’s events---Corporate or Platinum Sponsorship information---
scholarship forms---youth sports reimbursement forms---past SPY newsletters---etc.---just go to the SPY website at
3. NOTE: If you know of anyone who would like to receive these SPY’s Newsletters, just send me an email at
john.sandrafisher@gmail.com with their email address and we will add them to the distribution list.