Ya wanna get shot?

Local fundraiser brings in over $11,000 for childhood cancer camp

Courtney Elisech

BAY CITY – Te parking lot was full at the Monitor Township Hall the evening of Oct. 15 as everyone partied inside at the Family Fun Night. Tis is an annual fundraiser in Bay City that benefts Special Days Camps, the second longest-running oncology camp in the world.

Te fundraiser came back for the frst time since the pandemic hit, and it came back with a bang! As of right now, over $11,000 has been raised. Te total keeps growing as there is a Facebook fundraiser for those who could not come.

Te township hall was decked out in Halloween décor and giant infatable skeletons. Children were dancing by the DJ booth as colorful lights strobed around them.

“We were set up for 184 and most of the seats are taken,” said Bobbi Gellise, who began the fundraiser afer her daughter, Jodi Rugutt, was diagnosed with cancer and her family got to experience the camp.

A fnal headcount was nearly impossible, as tickets were sold at the door, and children under fve had free admission.

Children dressed as witches, ninjas, Barney, and more had fun running around and dancing. Adults mingled together while enjoying a warm meal of spaghetti or pursuing possible prizes. A euchre tournament got started midway through the night.

On top of the food and fun were chances to win prizes. A silent auction was held with a vast variety of items from handmade crafs and toys to gif baskets and booze.

“Troughout the year we shop a lot of clearance racks and seek support throughout the community,” said Amy Geyer. She is on the fundraiser committee and the Board of Directors at Special Days Camps.

A fall-themed photo booth was set up with a photographer at the ready. Te pictures will be sent through the mail to the people in the shot.

A never-ending line formed for the balloon artist and Delta College Alumni, Terry Tomas. A retired RN from Bay City who has worked as a balloon artist for 40 years. He has traveled all over the world putting on a show and creating wild balloon characters.

Te event was sponsored by many local businesses including Bay City Noon Optimist, Huntley’s Clubhouse, Ambrose Squires Funeral Home, Te Fence Gurus, Tri-City RV, McLaren Bay Region, Trivent, Outdoor Adventure, and many more. All prizes were also donated as well as the space in the building, food, drinks, music, and more. Tis list does not include the numerous cash donations.

Nikki Smith was the very frst camper at Special Days Camps in 1979 when she was 12 years old. She is now the Vice President of the camp’s Board and attended this event with her husband and grandson.

“I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone that is here today, for everyone on the committee that made this happen,” Smith said. “I am so blessed to be a part of this incredible program. It reaches out to families with childhood cancer, and also siblings. We hope to have camp until there is a cure, that’s our goal. Tank you to everyone for all that you do, you make camp a great place for so many.”

Te original group that started the event was four sisters: Bobbi Gellise, Amy Geyer, Patti Krenz, and Cherri Burzynski. Cathleen Schell is a friend of the family who joined the fundraiser committee when her son was diagnosed with cancer. Tey divide and conquer to complete tasks for the fundraiser all year long.

“Our kids used to dance together,” Gellise said about Schell. “She remembers me going through it with Jodi, so when her son got sick several years later it gave her hope that everything was okay.”

Schell shared that the fundraiser is in the fall because the camp has struggled to fund its winter camp session.

“We decided since we had family and friends in this area of the state,” Geyer began. “We would put on a fundraiser here to support a great cause when the funds were needed to complete camp.”

Te committee will divide and conquer to complete tasks for the fundraiser all year long.

Gellise’s daughters Ruggatt and Traci Gabow were both campers who went on to be staf at Special Days.

Something unique to the camp is the siblings’ program which allowed the sisters to both experience the camp diferently. Te frst week of camp is just for siblings, and the second is for the child who has or has had cancer. Each child will get a week with attention focused solely on them.

Most campers come back every year and have formed great friendships. It costs around $1,000 to send one child to camp and every camper receives a full or partial scholarship. Many can come to camp at no cost thanks to donations.

silent auction PriZes line the taBles at the family fun night; oct 15, 2022; Photo credit onnie stone

Better safe than sorry

Vanessa Selle With bow season almost over and rife season right around the corner, keeping some basic safety in mind while going out in the woods this time of year is essential. Tese tips are important to know whether you like to hunt or just spend time in nature. Te Michigan DNR posts general gun safety rules that every hunter is taught in their Hunters Safety course, and below are the main ones. • Treat every frearm as if it is loaded. • Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times. • Put your fnger on the trigger and turn the safety of only when you are ready to shoot. • Be aware of your surroundings-know your target and what is beyond it. • Unload the frearm when crossing obstacles and getting out of a tree stand or ground blind, and unload the frearm and keep it in a case when transporting it in a vehicle. • Obey “no trespassing signs” • If your game goes onto property marked as “no trespassing,” you must have the landowner's permission to retrieve your game. And the most important rule for hunters and non-hunters alike: • Hunter orange should be worn as the outermost layer of clothing and must be visible from all directions. Camoufage garments must legally be at least 50 percent hunter orange. Following these rules keeps yourself and others with you or in the woods safe. It ensures that those walking in the woods but not hunting will be easily visible in the woods by a hunter. Even if you don’t think you need hunter orange just for a walk in the woods, it is strongly encouraged to ensure that you are clearly visible to hunters.

CAMPUS LIFE

'You're going to jail!' Delta College Police Academy training is a great success

Courtney Elisech

On Oct. 26 and 27, the Delta College Police Academy held scenario training at the main campus. 31 recruits had a chance to run eight diferent training areas throughout the day. At the end of each one, they held a debriefng and talked about what went well and what could have been better.

Te situations the recruits found themselves in were similar to ones they could encounter on patrol. Included in the scenarios were a felony stop, reckless driving, drunk driving, a suspicious person on campus, and more.

Over the two days, ten police vehicles could be spotted around campus chasing down volunteer bad guys.

Michael Goodall is the coordinator of the Police Academy and worked with the Delta Collegiate to obtain footage of the scenario training.

Te volunteers and cadets were confused to see a camera and people watching at frst. One even voiced, “Are they part of the scenarios?” before falling back into character. It made it seem more realistic that people would be staring and recording as they worked, even commenting on what they were doing.

“Most of my volunteers are recruits from previous classes,” Goodall shared. “Tis is crucial to their training; they spend all this time in the classroom, but this is hands-on and a controlled environment. So, we ask that afer they graduate, they come back and volunteer at least once.”

Professors in the criminal justice program also ofer extra credit to students to participate.

Te driver was a volunteer in a red man training suit at the reckless driving station. A red man training suit is used to protect against blunt force trauma. Te volunteer was a great sport and took of, making the cadets pursue on foot during one scenario. In the next, he tried to run away but was stopped and tackled to the ground before he made it far. Te passengers in the vehicle also hassled the cadets and pretended to record what was happening on their phones. Te suspicious person on campus was spotted by a student who waited around for the police to show up. She proceeded to yell at the perp that he was going to jail and explained he was approaching students to take their photos. Te cadets quickly separated the victim from the suspect and began questioning. Tey were very thorough and professional with the suspect and the student who reported it.

Each situation was diferent in crime, response, and activity. At times the cadets calmly talked to the suspects, and others they had their plastic weapons drawn yelling for the perp to put their hands up.

You could see some cadets were still unsure of themselves, looking to the supervisor of the group for help. Others were very confdent and burst into motion as soon as it was needed.

Te scenarios will be back on campus in April before graduation. If you want to volunteer to help with the scenarios send Goodall an email.

the delta college Police academy cadets work a training scenario with a volunteer in a red man suit that they can chase and tackle without causing harm, oct. 27, 2022; Photo credit courtney elisech delta college Police academy Police training scenarios held at the main camPus helP teach the cadets aBout situations they may encounter while on Patrol, oct. 27, 2022; Photo credit courtney elisech

Whitmer announces new scholarships for police training

Vanessa Selle

LANSING– On Oct. 17, Gov. Whitmer announced that $30 million in scholarships are now available to fund basic law enforcement training and recruitment salaries for those enrolled in the academy while employed by a law enforcement agency.

Tis Public Safety Academy Assistance Program will help address the need for more police ofcers by reducing or eliminating education and recruitment costs. Funding for the program comes from the fscal year 2023 bipartisan budget Whitmer signed in July.

Applications for agencies who plan to enroll recruits in an academy on or afer Jan. 1, 2023, are now open. Agencies may receive up to 25 scholarships over the program, efective until Sept. 30, 2026, or until the appropriated funds are spent. Tis grant does not apply to recruits who an agency does not already employ before enrollment in an academy.

8 CAMPUS LIFE A Chocolate Afair making dreams possible for 30 years

Courtney Elisech & Vanessa Selle

he “ ee cce cake” i a fo ie cake aking m l iPle e e o c anD e e a a chocola e affai . no . 4, 2022; Pho o c eDi onnie one

Every year, the Possible Dream Program at Delta hosts a fundraising event called “A Chocolate Afair.” Tis year’s event was held at Horizons Conference Center in Saginaw on November 3. 600 tickets were sold, over 100 sponsors were in the crowd, and 22 sponsored students.

Grayson Wells, 12, is a seventh grader from Bullock Creek Middle School who attended the event as part of the program. His teachers nominated him in ffh grade, and he submitted two essays before being accepted.

While he hasn’t decided on a college, a career in engineering or something similar is in the plans for Wells. Te meatballs were his favorite food item, but he had yet to taste the chocolate cheesecake that he had been eyeballing all night.

Lily Palencia and Harrison Brewer are seventh graders in the Possible Dream program that attended the event. Tey both expressed enjoyment of the program and the activities they have done. Palencia dreams of becoming a psychologist.

“Technology, I like working with computers,” said Brewer when asked what he would like to do as a career. “I wanna learn how to code and make games.”

Both children have already decided Delta is the school for them. Te Chocolate Afair was fun for the students, who enjoyed the food while looking forward to dessert. Brewer shared that the rolls were amazing, especially with butter. Palencia liked the meatballs.

Te Possible Dream Program has been successful over the past 30 years, with 78% of the students graduating and continuing their education. 65% of students chose Delta to continue with their education. Te frst Possible Dream students graduated in 1998, and over 2,300 students have been a part of the program since it began.

Te Chocolate Afair is the only fundraiser of the year for the Possible Dream Program, and it is a large gathering with food, live music, and sweets to celebrate students' success and support the program. Tere are no assigned seats or tables in this program, which makes this an incredible event for people to talk and connect more casually and naturally.

Each event sponsor was acknowledged by a place card near the dessert they donated. Dow donated $12,000, Spence Brothers donated $8,000, and many more donations in diferent increments were noted on the program for the event. Without the sponsors, the program could not exist.

Delta Alum, Heather Gallegos, was a representative from Dow who attended the event.

“It is a great program that allows Delta to identify up-and-coming talent that might not have the tools necessary to go to College,” Gallegos shared. “Maybe their frst generation or fnances might be an issue. So by having this fundraiser and continuing this program, it’s the way for them to continue their education.” (CONT)

“My every day is trying to make things better for students"

-Delta College President Micheal Gavin

guests Peruse the tortes to Be served later that night at a chocolate affair. nov. 4, 2022; Photo credit onnie stone

Troughout the night, people mingled, laughed, danced, and enjoyed the delicious food the conference center provided. Te night's main event, the cake cutting, occurred at 8 p.m. Once the cakes were cut, everyone could try their favorite ones and mingle for another hour.

“My every day is trying to make things better for students,” said Delta College’s President, Michael Gavin.

President Gavin shared that he loves Possible Dream because it is the one program that brings all of the tri-counties together. A Chocolate Afair is a great event for community partnerships. Te relaxed environment makes this a benefcial opportunity to connect with politicians, open job pathways, and get funding.

Possible Dream Coordinator Lindsay Bryce explained more about how students end up in the program. Te program accepts students in ffh through twelfhgrade students who are chosen for the program by a nomination.

Afer a student is nominated, there is an application process before they are accepted into the program. Tis process includes an essay, a check into the student’s academics, and what challenges their path to college. Tis challenge could be economic, social, or physical, among others.

Once a student is accepted into the program, they receive access to many opportunities, such as college campus

tours, summer camps, events like A Chocolate Afair, activities where they can experience their chosen career, and many others.

Tese events and activities run yearround and help prepare the students for a successful college career. “I love seeing who the students will connect with,” Bryce said

A Chocolate Afair is “an amazing event for an amazing cause,” said Te Vice President of Student Empowerment and Success, Chad Inabinet.

Inabinet doesn’t deal directly with the Possible Dream Program. Still, his department includes admissions, advising, and counseling, which all work towards the same goal: an excellent start to a successful college career.

Karen MacArthur was also at the event, and she is the person who began the Possible Dream Program. It stemmed from an idea that was happening in Harlem, New York. Tey had a similar program, and Delta replicated it for students from the Tri-Cities.

Tere were many sponsors, students, and current or former employees of Delta at the event. One former employee, Dr. Nancy Vader-McCormick, attends the event every year and says it is to celebrate the student's success. She says that if not for the Possible Dream Program and this fundraiser, many students would not be able to attend college.

A Possible Dream Alumni named Abigail was also at the event. She shared that she loved being in the program and has made many friends she still talks to. One of her favorite things was seeing the Nutcracker play in Detroit.

Associate Director of Career Advising at Delta College, Jonathan Hoerauf, was a volunteer working with the desserts to cut

them. Tis was his third or fourth time at the event in this role, he wil defnitely be back next year.

“I think this is an awesome event,” Hoerauf said. “It’s great to see how many people come out.”

Annette Glen, Republican State Representative, shared that she attended the event because she is a huge supporter of Delta College.

“Just watching the impact that Delta has on our community,” Glenn said. “Whether your looking for a skills trade training or whether you’re looking for two years to launch you into college, or returning students.”

All fve of her children attended Delta, who are all completely diferent in interests, and found a place at the school.

“Tis is not just a fundraiser, this is a fundraiser that invests in students,” Glenn shared. “Tis is the one that allows students that maybe have to decide whether they can take another class or if they have to pick up another job, this flls the need.

In addition to President Gavin attending the event, former Presidents Don Carlyon, Peter Boyce, and Jean Goodnow also attended.

At 98 years old and with 28 years of service as a Delta College President, Carlyon still supports Delta with events like these.

“I am very proud of Delta College,” said Carylon while enjoying the festivities and reminiscing with old colleagues and friends.

“An amazing event for an amazing cause”

-Chad Inabinet

a Band Plays for guests at a chocolate affair. nov. 4, 2022; Photo credit onnie stone

10 CAMPUS LIFE Race to college

Onnie Stone

Delta College students complete part of their Civic Engagement project for professor Kimberly Klein by partnering with fourth-grade classes from Francis Reh Elementary to teach them life and safety skills. Part of those skills included providing neckties for each student and teaching them how to tie them. Tey met at the Delta College Saginaw campus on Nov. 4 and had a successful and fun time getting to know each other.

delta college students meet the elementary school students they will Be teaching at the delta college saginaw camPus delta college students make sure the students of francis reh elementary school are having fun on their way to the next learning station at the delta college saginaw camPus location on nov. 4, 2022; Photo credit onnie stone

delta college students teach children from the francis reh elementary school life skills like how to tie a neck-tie at the delta college saginaw camPus location on nov. 4, 2022; Photo credit onnie stone

LIFESTYLE

Frankenmuth Fall Fest in photos

Onnie Stone