Sunfield Area Spy's Report - 2007, The Year in Review

The following is a simple compilation of what the SPY organization has managed to accomplish in the year 2007. We did not do this alone. We are but one thread in the cloth that makes up the diverse tapestry of the community at large. It takes the right, prevailing attitude, along with many willing hands to truly build and sustain a community. We are proud to continue to be; along with our corporate sponsors and supporters; a viable part of the endeavor to make the Sunfield area a better place to live.

• Jamie Peabody joined the Sunfield Area Sponsors of Programs for Youth in 2007. As we closed the year, we had over 70 members.

• Buddy "The Road Kill Grill Meister" Collins once again headed up our Wild Game Dinner. We had a fantastic eleventh year hosting this event. It was once again a success, even though the wind chill that night was below zero - the snow was blowing - and roads were drifting shut. This immensely popular activity, founded by Mark Huyck, has evolved into one of our largest fund raisers.

• Once again, we paid all the fees associated with the area kids participating in the youth wrestling program. This amounted to an expenditure of $770 this past year.

• The membership also voted to appropriate $200 to the "Bridges To Community" program that Alissa Goble will be participating in down in Nicaragua.

• Craig "The Pooh-Bah Of Pasteboards" Cappon stepped in this year and took over running our the twenty-fifth annual SPY's Euchre Tournament, or "The Showdown On Main Street", as it has become to be known. This year the winners were Cris "Bowers Are My Business" Glazier, (men's champion), and Michelle "Show Them No Mercy" Smith, (women's champion).

• We once again provided both the team and individual funding for the Sunfield area boys playing in the Pee Wee Basketball program. This totaled $270.

• We also provided $450 in funding for the Sunfield Elementary teacher's individual classroom needs.

• We donated a total of $500 to help support the annual Farmer's Picnic fireworks show and other picnic activities.

• We also provided $450 in funding for the Sunfield Elementary teacher’s individual classroom needs.

• We donated a total of $500 to help support the annual Farmer's Picnic fireworks show and other picnic activities.

• The 1,454th "Sunfield Area SPY Report" column was published in the Sunfield Sentinel this year. The "Dirt Sheet", the region’s #1 source for accurate news reporting, is now in its 33nd year of publication.

• Our Membership Director Craig Mulholland took on the monumental task of creating a SPY's member data base to better facilitate communication with our members. This is an on-going project. Please see Craig for details on how you can help him complete this effort.

• This past year the local Boy Scout troop came to us with a problem. They were trying to raise money to buy some badly needed new tents, but they had come up considerably short. The membership, thanks to a substantial private contribution, voted to provide the additional $3,000 needed to help the scouts get their tents.

• We once again donated $250 to Lakewood's Project Graduation. We have been a sponsor of this fine program since its inception 22 years ago.

• We again underwrote the costs of the Sunfield Elementary School's "March Is Reading Month", which provides books for kids. This totaled $450 this year.

• We also underwrote the $100 needed to cover the costs associated with the Fifth Grade's stock market competition.

• Scott "Don't Be A Litter Bug" McWhorter completed his twelfth year of chairing our Adopt-A-Highway project. He coordinated the three roadside trash pick-ups this spring and summer along the 2-mile stretch of M-43 from Shaytown Road to Round Lake Road.

• This year's funding allocation for support of the summer sports programs totaled $2,405. The funding covered all of the expenses for the over 160 Sunfield area kids playing on the 14 to 16 different baseball and softball teams. The expenditure was down this year due to the SSAA having a surplus of funds in their account that they wanted to reduce.

• This past summer, Vikki Spitzley once again headed up the golf event she created in 2002. She calls it the "Sue Lade Memorial Golf Scramble", and it raises money for Sue’s memorial fund that benefits various youth golf activities. This year’s winning team consisted of Aaron Hargett, Patrick Spitzley, Liz Nagel, and Kevin Hatch.

• Rosie Best continued her role of running the SPY's annual Celebration Calendar project this year. The Community Celebration Calendar celebrated its 38th year of being a part of the community.

• We took action to financially underwrite Brain Poddig's Eagle Scout project. It involves putting up house numbers on every home in Sunfield that needs them. This is being done to primarily aid in emergency situations.

• We had 21 wonderful people sign up to have their United Way and other payroll deduction program contributions designated to come to the SPY's in 2007. People don't realize how big a difference doing this makes in our ability to meet the many needs of youth in the community. We appreciate everyone that takes the time to make their designations go to work here in our community.

• This past summer, the SPY's Summer Celebration roared into its third year. This event was the brainchild of Phil Smith, who has long wanted to do a barbecue cook off. He teamed up with Bob Bumgardner, who has long wanted to do a car show, and the rest, as they say, is history. This year, along came Chris Wegener, and a 5-K run / walk was added to the festivities. The Summer Celebration has turned out to be a fantastic event. At the end of the day, we even had a drive-in movie that quite a number of people stuck around for. The SPY's Summer Celebration promises to be a great annual community extravaganza. Toad Logan and his "Down Home BBQ" team was the overall barbecue cook off champion. Ben Smith won the prestigious Participant's Choice Award in the car show. Harold & Mary Lou Jameson took home the People's Choice award. In the 5-K run, Brandon Sterkenburg was the overall men's champion and Angie Morman was the overall women's champion.

• We had 17 wonderful people sign up to have their United Way contributions designated to come to the SPY's in 2006. People don't realize how big a difference doing this makes in our ability to meet the many needs of youth in the community. We appreciate everyone that takes the time to make their United Way designation go to work here in our community.

• $210 was allocated in 2007 to assist kids participating in the two local youth golf programs.

• Oren Best continued to serve as our school liaison and John Fisher served as our liaison to the Sunfield Summer Athletic Association (SSAA) as well as the Farmer’s Picnic board this year.

• The Dime Pitch Booth that we run at the Farmer's Picnic is a major source of summer activities funding for us. Barry "Glass Consumes My Life And Stuffed Animals Have Taken Over Our House" Vezino (every year his title gets bigger and bigger), heads this up and does a tremendous job. Barry and his family continually make the Dime Pitch Booth activity better and better.

• Our twenty-eighth annual Bike-A-Thon was coordinated by Wendel "The Pedal Pusher" Peabody. He headed up a fine crew of helpers.

* Aaron Clark was the Bike-A-Thon fastest lap champion.

* Zeke Cappon was the top money raiser. This is his ninth year in a row as the "Big Dollar Man".

* Levi Byington and Britten Livermore each cranked out 24 miles and were the top mile riders.

• 2007 SPY Community Foundation Scholarship and Recognition Award winners were seniors Andrew Dow; Bradley Elliott; Lauren Marlatt; Amy Poole; and Jeffery Smith. A total of $10,500 was awarded this year. A special salute goes out to the nine members of this year's "Scholarship Review Committee" that put in a lot of time and effort in the grueling selection process.

• This year the recipient of the SPY's "Richard Lenon Community Service Award", that goes to the graduating high school senior from the Sunfield area that has demonstrated the greatest involvement in the community, was Jeff Smith. He received a recognition plaque and a $1,000 U.S. savings bond for his efforts.

• We also continue to be the chartering organization for the Cub Scouts. This year they experienced and we oversaw a number of organizational changes.

• We donated a supply of basketballs; floor hockey; and some electronic equipment to the Sunfield Elementary School in 2007.

• With the help of Joann Van Orman and Cassel Ice Company, we again covered the costs for supplying free on-site ice for use by local groups during the August Farmer's Picnic activity. Craig Mulholland handles the logistics for us on this.

• We continued our support of local kids involved in the various soccer programs offered. This year's soccer costs totaled $1,125.

• Thanks to the General Motors Foundation program, "GM Volunteer PLU$", and GM employees, Marv Hengesbach, Mike Hopkins, Tim Rumfield, David Thompson II, Buddy Collins, Greg Thelen, Jeff hewitt, and Brad Dow, we received a grant for $2,000. By individual request, $250 went to the Scholarship Fund; $250 went to the Danny Rumfield Memorial Scholarship fund; and $500 went to the Sunfield Volunteer Fire Department. The remainder of the grant money went to help fund our various local kid's programs.

• Bill Weller again led a fine crew in putting on the nineteenth annual Centennial Acres / SPY Shootout golf tournament that helps raise funding for our youth programs. Thanks to Bill's eye for continuous improvement, the tournament is getting better and smoother running each year. This year's division winners were: the Miller/Elliott team (overall champions); the Mike Noeker team; the Sandy Fisher team; the Dick Tichvon team; and the Greg Haskin team. The "Corporate Challenge Cup" was won by the American Collegiate Marketing team. Our tournament putting contest champion was John Fisher - for the third year in a row.

• Our seventeenth annual "Barnyard Classic" 3 on 3 basketball tournament division winners were: The Ex Cons; Lakewood; The Klotz Team; Portland Giants; and The Portland Barn Rats. Darin "I've Been A Dribbler All My Life" Weller once again did a fine job as the leader of the Classic.

• Jake "Foul Ball" Bosworth continued as the commissioner of the "SPY's Charities Softball Tournament", that is held during Farmer's Picnic week. This marked the 36th year the tournament has been held. The Brodbeck Farms team was this year's champion. This made it two years in a row for the Brodbeck squad.

• We appropriated $2,775 to cover expenses associated with the kids participating in the Lakewood Pee Wee football program.

• Back in July, Craig Mullholland brought some information to us concerning running Texas Hold 'Em tournaments at Tripper's Sports Bar in the Frandor shopping center in Lansing. To make a long story short - thanks to some hoop jumping with the State by John Fisher and a fine crew of dedicated helpers, we were able to take advantage of this opportunity and worked two of these four-day events. This was a very successful endeavor for us. Craig Cappon is currently trying to get us scheduled for some more in 2008.

• Craig "Black Jack" Cappon continued as the driving force with our Las Vegas Night this year. Craig, aided by his wife Shana, did a wonderful job with this fundraiser. Again this year, our Vegas Night was held during the Charlotte Frontier Days at the request of their committee.

• We gave $2,500 to the Lakewood Band Boosters to help them with their drive to purchase some badly needed equipment for the drum line.

• We donated $100 to the ³Santa Claus Is Coming To Town² revival project.

• The 31st annual fun-filled 50's/60's, (and now 70's too), Dance was another smashing success. It was again held at the American Legion Hall in Charlotte. The crowd came from all over. The between sets acts were again the epitome of both entertainment and unparalleled artistic achievement. Juaise Peabody served as the chairperson of the committee that puts the dance together. They do a super job.

• The membership voted to appropriate $1,250, (if details can be worked out), to enter into a joint venture with Polly Products and the Village to provide some additional benches and picnic tables for the village parks.

• Again in 2007, the SPY's were called upon at various times to handle "special needs projects" within the community that were brought to our attention. We feel privileged that we are in a position where we are able to make a difference in this particular way. It seems that these types of needs are increasing every year. Funds allocated for these "quiet" needs totaled approximately $2,500. We are aided in much of this work through donations from people who wish to remain anonymous. This is yet another example of a community working together.

• The Scholarship Fund continued to grow in 2007, through the generous contributions from many individuals; special projects; and especially memorial gifts. We are indeed gratified by the community's support of the Scholarship Fund. Thus far, $116,000 has been awarded to graduating seniors. The Scholarship Fund continues to be administered by the SPY's Community Foundation.

• This year saw the successful continuation of our "Corporate Sponsor" program. This is a specially designed program that allows us to form a more effective partnership with community and youth concerned businesses and individuals that provide benefits for all.

• This year's "Corporate Sponsor" participants were:

Centennial Acres Golf Course
Mapes Furniture Company
Mark Woodman Plumbing and Heating
H.S.V. Redi-Mix
Marko's Marathon
Great Lakes Treatment
Rosier Funeral Home
American Collegiate Marketing
Fish’s Card Room
Tico Duckett Distributing
Mason Ornamental Iron
Mike Davis Construction
Firstbank
Quality Hardwoods
Best Tax Service
Charlotte Wal-Mart
Union Bank
Hazel Brothers Drainage
Sunfield IGA

We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to these fine community minded people.

• We again participated in the Lakewood Community Council's Christmas Basket program which helps nearly 200 families in the Lakewood area, including a number locally, with food and gifts. This year we contributed $500, as well as provided a crew to handle all of the deliveries in the Sunfield area.

• We are again fully underwriting all of the costs involved with the girls Pee Wee basketball program. At this moment we do not have the final grand total for that expenditure as they are still signing up for the older girls program.

• We began a new program this year of providing a paid subscription to the Sunfield Sentinel to each member of the Lakewood School Board in order that they may be kept appraised of local activities.

• Greg Thelen won the twenty-eighth annual Bill "Moose" Fisher Memorial All World International Poker Championship. This marked the third time that Greg had won the event.

• The "Youth Activities Trust Fund", which was started in 1996 with designated gifts, and is set-up to function like the "Scholarship Fund", in that it is intended to serve as a perpetual source of funding for some of our youth programs, continued to grow.

COMMENT

As you can see, the Sunfield Area Sponsors of Programs for Youth (S.P.Y.'s) are an active, vital organization. Our prime purpose is community betterment through helping kids.

A short time ago I received a note in the mail that, to me, captured what the SPY's are all about - I quote - "Thanks for everything you do to enhance the lives of youth in Sunfield, and thus, everyone in the community. The ultimate value of bringing up a youth in the company of caring adults and in the pursuit of healthy and wholesome activity cannot be measured except as the priceless memory of a happy childhood."

Always remember, there are three main ingredients to our success.

First, there is the drive and dedication of our members.

Second, is the ever-present support and assistance of the S.P.Y.'s spouses and significant others.

Third, and perhaps most important, is the acceptance and backing from you folks out there for our projects, programs, and other activities.

To all of you S.P.Y.'s - to your helpmates - our Corporate Sponsors - and to everyone that supported us in 2007 and years past - THANK YOU!!

Thank you for your help, support, contributions of any kind, hard work, dedication, and acceptance. The school, community, and this area in general is a better place because of all of us working and pulling together. We are indeed blessed.

Previous Reviews: 2006  2005