Challenge Day Update

Support is flowing from the community to bring challenge Day to local youth. A FREE concert and picnic is planned for Sunday, June 7 from 3pm - 5pm at the Cadillac City Park. There will be music, food, games, and a dedication of a bench and a rock honoring Alex Harrison. Donations will be accepted at the event to help fund Challenge Day.

The Challenge Day fund at the Foundation has received additional donations and now has a balance of $2,290. When you add the 2-1 match from the Foundation, this Fund now totals $3,435! Thank you Cadillac.

So readers....if you are interested in bringing Challenge Day to Cadillac, please send your donations to the Cadillac Area Community Foundation, 201 N. Mitchell Street, Suite 101, Cadillac, MI 49601.

Mannion Scholarsip Awarded

Bryce Welsh is the 2009 recipient of the Frederick T. Mannion Scholarship award. This Scholarship was established in the memory of Dr. Mannion by his family, and it is awarded annually to graduating seniors from the Cadillac High School, based on an outstanding high school grade point average, a demonstration of excellent character, and participation in non-academic activities.

Garcia Scholarship Awarded

Jessica Gonder is the 2009 recipient of the Kelly Ann Garcia Memorial Scholarship for the Performing Arts. Well known throughout the community for her outstanding vocal abilities, Jessica will be attending classes at Central Michigan University, in Music Education. Inspiration for a career in teaching music comes from her former choir director/teacher, Judy Nichols. Jessica stated that she hopes to be as fine a teacher as Mrs. Nichols.

The Kelly Ann Garcia Memorial Scholarship Fund assists high school seniors planning to major in vocal music in college, as well as undergraduate class members who are attending summer training. Kelly Ann Garcia was a CAPS graduate who was known for her love of singing and performance, and her dedication to the performing arts. This memorial scholarship is awarded annually in her honor.

Thank a Veteran!

Monday, May 25th, is our chance to remember Veterans for the sacrifices they have made for us...and to remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice. Make certain that if you see a veteran this weekend to thank them for their service. Freedom is not free, and it is through the bravery and sacrifices of our veterans and active service personnel that we have the privilege of living in a free country.

If you are in Cadillac on Memorial Day, there are a few events that you can attend to honor our veterans. There is a service and a 21-gun salute to our sailors scheduled to take place at 9:30am at the Cadillac City Dock. Immediately following is a parade that will make its way down Mitchell Street, turn left at Pine Street, and then end at the Veterans Memorial Stadium at Cadillac High School. There will then be a program at the stadium beginning at 11am.

You can also help our veterans by making a donation to the permanently endowed Wexford-Missaukee Veterans Endowment Fund. (Your donation is also tax deductible!) The Fund was created to help Veterans who have emergency financial needs. Checks can be mailed directly to the Foundation offices with a note in the memo portion of your check that designates the Veterans Fund.

The Foundation offices will be closed Friday May 22, and reopen Tuesday, May 26 at 8:30am.

Challenge Day Fund slowly growing!

As of this afternoon the CAPS Challenge Day Fund has donations of $1,150. When you add the earned match from the Foundation of $775, this Fund already has a value of $2,325....but we cannot stop here. We need to raise at least $18,000 to make this program a reality for local youth! Any size donation is deeply appreciated. Please mail your donation to CACF, 201 N. Mitchell Street, Suite 101, Cadillac, MI. The check should be made out to CACF, the memo portion of the check should designate "Challenge Day". Any questions about this Fund or program can be answered by calling 231-775-9911.

Cadillac News responds to the Challenge!

In a show of support for the community and community youth, Cadillac News donated $500 to the CAPS Challenge Day Fund. The response from the community has been very positive! Within the first week of announcing this Fund we have received $1,350 in donations to help bring this program to our schools. When you factor in the match from the Foundation, this Fund already has raised $2,025. Lets keep this momentum going and let the youth in this community know that WE CARE! Fund donations can be mailed to CACF, 201 N. Mitchell Street, Suite 101, Cadillac MI.

New Fund to bring in Challenge Day

The Cadillac Area Community Foundation and the Cadillac Area Public Schools (CAPS) have announced a collaboration to bring the Challenge Day Team to Cadillac Area Public Schools. The Foundation has established a pass-through fund to allow for tax deductible donations and have pledged to match $1.00 for every $2.00 donated to the newly established CAPS Challenge Day Fund, up to a total match of $6000 for $12,000 raised in the community. This partnership will allow CAPS teachers and staff to focus on working with the students, and the Foundation staff will focus on fundraising for Challenge Day.

So....what does this mean?

It means that the community has a deep concern about the bullying taking place in our local schools, and we are going to do something about it! Challenge Day is a highly successful anti-bullying program that will be presented in our schools, (http://www.challengeday.org/). The Challenge Day program reduces teasing, stereotyping, social oppression, and bullying. The program teaches students peaceful conflict resolution and enhances their skills for healthy emotional expression. The program strives to increase the students’ self-esteem, sense of purpose, integrity, and develop empathy for others. Using the skills they are taught the students will have the ability to turn their schools into a community campus. In studies conducted after Challenge Day, students report that they: are more accepting of fellow students, see students tease each other less, feel less lonely at school, ask others for feedback more readily, and are comfortable being leaders.

The program will cost close to $30,000! The Foundation has already received $500 in donations as of today. When you add the matching $250 you can see that the Fund already has a $750 start. The hope is to raise at least $18,000.

For further information about this Fund, please contact the Foundation at 231-775-991.

Please help us make a positive impact on our local students. To make a donation to this Fund please send your check to the Cadillac Area Community Foundation, 201 N. Mitchell Street, Suite 101, Cadillac, Michigan. The check should be made out to the Cadillac Area Community Foundation, and please write “Challenge Day” in the memo portion of your check.

Giving away money!

The Foundation has awarded three Trustee Grants from the unrestricted Cornerstone Fund.

United Way, in partnership with the Cadillac Leadership Class of 2009, was awarded a grant of $1,000 in support of the “Wexford County Get Connected” (2-1-1) Program. The grant will assist in funding a part time 2-1-1 co-coordinator. You can learn about the history of this program at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-1-1 Once this program is in place, area residents will be able to call 2-1-1 to find assistance....a clearing house number for all types of human services.

The Friends of the Library were awarded a $1,000 grant in support of the new Adult Literacy Training program to be offered by the Adult Literacy Committee. Grant funds will be used to train tutors and purchase necessary materials for the program. Once the tutors are trained they will provide their services to adults who are reading and writing below the 5th grade level. This service will be offered through the Cadillac-Wexford Library (http://www.cadillaclibrary.org/)

After 26 Project Inc. was awarded a grant of $1,592 to help their start up efforts. The After 26 Project hopes to raise funds to open a non-profit restaurant modeled off of the highly successful “Junction of Hope” restaurant and gift shop in Chesaning, Michigan (http://junctionofhope.org/) which will employ developmentally disabled adults with cognitive impairments who are aged 26 and over. They also hope to incorporate a gift shop into the restaurant to feature items crafted by special needs individuals and students from the Wexford-Missaukee ISD.

The Cadillac Area Community Foundation now has three grant cycles for the Trustee Grant Program. Applications are always available by calling 231-775-9911 or visiting our website at http://www.cadillacfoundation.org/. Application submission deadlines are February 28, June 30, and October 31,