On an evening in mid-December, Wendy Sobeck had the pleasure of being a parent-chaperone at a Christmas party for students from Traverse Heights and Blair elementary schools hosted by Hagerty Insurance.
"After a brief tour of their beautiful offices, the children were treated to milk and cookies served by the staff of Hagerty," Wendy wrote. "Everyone sang Christmas carols and then the highlight of the evening ... a visit from Santa Claus himself. Santa had gifts for every child and you could not have found a more excited, happier group of kids."
Diane Larkin, social worker at Traverse Heights, said approximately 80 students attended the holiday celebration and that the children are either in after-school programs or students who may not have holiday opportunities due to economic circumstances. Hagerty not only hosts the party, but pays for everything, including the bus used to transport the students.
"They are phenomenally generous and I hold them in very high esteem." Mrs. Larkin said.
Carmen Stevens, community relations manager at Hagerty Insurance, added that the holiday event is employee-driven and is a way to give back to the community. Carmen also said that volunteering for the party is a very coveted activity.
"It did this mom's heart good to see the Christmas spirit alive and well," Wendy wrote. "So I want to publicly thank Hagerty Insurance for being such a generous and caring friend to the Traverse City community and especially to the kids they made so happy."
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Kristin Harrison, RN, BSN, and Munson Home Health representative, wrote to send a public thank you to Fit For You Health Club.
The health club provides the Munson Hospice bereavement program with certificates for substantial discounts to offer to people dealing with recent loss through death as encouragement for them to take care of themselves.
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The elementary students at Traverse City Christian School recently collected 1,225 Tootsie Pops to send to an orphanage in Kenya.
The school has a two-year history with the orphanage and in 2007 raised $1,000 to buy pots and pans. In 2008, the students collected school supplies. The political unrest was so severe that the missionaries were unable to make the trip, so this year the supplies will be delivered, along with the Tootsie Pops. The donations were accepted by a representative from Hearth to Hearth Ministries.
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