SPY’s Community Newsletter
(4/28/24)
DUV News
The local chapter of the Daughters of Union Veterans will be. putting out flags on veterans graves at the Sunfield Cemetery on Thursday, May 16th at 10 AM in honor of Memorial Day. They are looking for volunteers to help out. You can just show up at the Cemetery, or you can contact Rosie Best at (517) 331-0836 if you have any questions.
SPY Bowling Event Report #1
First off, THANK-YOU #1 to “Buddy's on the Beach” for renewing their SPY's Corporate sponsorship for 2024 by sponsoring this year's third annual event.
Also, THANK-YOU #2 to the following individuals that jumped in and helped to make this a fun and rewarding event for the 51 bowlers this year.
Betsy Gibbs
Craig Cappon
Darcy Edwards, and
Sandy Snow.
THANK-YOU #3 to the following individuals and Buddy's on the Beach for donations toward this event:
· Buddys not only sponsored the event they also gave out free shoe rental to bowlers.
· Gene Mauer for donating raffle items.
· Jeff and Betsy Gibbs for donating raffle items.
· Kendall Snow for donating a bowling ball.
· Chip Lake for donating a PBA autographed shirt.
· Mary Hanna donated 50/50 winnings.
The top male bowler this year with an overall 3 game score of 865 was Phil Butler. Runner up for the men with 820 pin count was Darren Bosworth.
The top female bowler with a 3-game pin fall of 635 was Pauline Vroman, followed closely by our runner up with 632 pins down was Judy Scheidt.
This year we had (4) perfect 300 games. They were rolled by Darren Bosworth, Jason Saul, and Phil Butler did it twice!.
Centennial Acres / SPY Shootout Is Coming!
Sunday, June 9th. will be the BIG day! It will be the thirty-fourth annual "Centennial Acres / SPY Shootout" Golf Tournament. Over the years, this has become a major fundraiser for the Sunfield Area Sponsors of Programs for Youth. We are counting on a great turnout to help us generate the necessary funding to maintain the wide variety of youth programs, both athletic and scholastic, that the SPY’s provide. ALL proceeds from this event go to the many kids and community programs the SPY’s support.
The “Shootout” is a four-person scramble format event, with separate divisions for men (with different flights), women, senior men, and coed teams. (With the Senior Division teams, the youngest team member must be at least 60 years old). Each division will be flighted, which means you will be competing with teams pretty much the same caliber as yours. There will be a number of specialty holes, as well as raffles. Registration forms are now available in the Centennial Acres Pro Shop, or by contacting Tournament Directors Derek Desgranges, (269) 838-7686, or Steve Grosshans, (269) 838-6459.
Again this year we are featuring an all you can eat outdoor grill with all of the trimmings for the golfers. In addition, all Corporate and Platinum Sponsor teams will be competing for the coveted "Challenge Cup".
For more information, or if you want to get a team into the tournament, contact either Derek or Steve. Come on golfers! This is a great, fun way to help us help kids!
Wanna Sponsor A Hole?
Did you know that the Sunfield Area Sponsors of Programs for Youth’s funding for the various youth athletic and scholastic programs they provide, as well as assistance for a number of worthy community programs and projects, amounts to over $25,000 a year, (and that doesn’t include the scholarships),---and costs keep going up. There are many needs in our community, as well as many opportunities that are provided in a variety of ways---but, we need YOUR help to continue the efforts!
Sure, we can go knocking on local merchant's doors, (the so very few that are left in our community), and we have in the past. But they have people coming through their doors every day with their hands out looking for donations. We need to give them a break once and a while---especially in this economy. So, the SPY’s are making an appeal to everyone else out there to help us help kids.
Here’s the pitch---The Centennial Acres / SPY Shootout golf tournament is coming up on Sunday, June 9th. This has become a major event for generating funds that the SPY's currently have. This is where individuals like yourself can help. We are looking for hole sponsors. And, have we got a deal for you!
For your fully tax-deductible contribution of $100 you get your very own hole at Centennial Acres for the day, complete with a professional quality sign acknowledging your support of the kids. For further information, or to sign up to sponsor a hole, please contact Derek Desgranges (269-838-7686) or Steve Grosshas (269-838-6459). Thank you!
SPY’s Sunfield Community Foundation News
Thirty-eight 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 well over $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)
Parting Comments
· Deep Thought of the Week: Progress involves risks. You can’t steal second and keep your foot on first.
· Notable Quote: “Sadly, the politicians in Washington D.C. could swim all day in the Sea of Knowledge and still come out completely dry!”
· That’s Puny Department: Here’s a timely one for you---ECLIPSE----Definition: It is what an English barber does for a living.
· Did You Know Section: Not everyone wanted to be part of the United States when the Revolutionary War broke out. Vermont, for instance, declared itself an independent republic from 1777 to 1791, due in part to ongoing disputes with neighboring New York, which claimed the land as its own. The future Green Mountain State adopted its own constitution and operated as a de facto independent country. After briefly being called New Connecticut, the region eventually settled on the name State of Vermont, but was also known as the Vermont Republic. In addition to having its own currency and postal service, Vermont also abolished slavery on July 2, 1777 — the first American colony to do so. (Vermont at one point toyed with the idea of joining the Province of Quebec in the early 1780s before ultimately deciding against it.)
Though the Vermont Republic wasn’t officially recognized by the U.S., it was largely left to its own devices. No less an authority than George Washington advised against military action in 1783, in part because the country was “very mountainous” and its citizens were “a hardy race, composed of that kind of people who are best calculated for soldiers.” Vermont eventually settled its differences with New York and voted to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1791, officially joining the new nation.
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 www.sunfieldareaspys.com.
3. NOTE: If you know of anyone who would like to receive these SPY’s Community Newsletters, just send me an email at john.sandrafisher@gmail.com with their email address and we will add them to the mailing list.
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