Chelsea area giving circle donates $10,000+ to North Star Reach

Pictured (left to right): Carie Tillman, Nicole Bell, Tonya Gietzen, Patrick Smith, Brenda Jo Beck, and Mary Tomac

submitted by 100 Women Who Care — Chelsea Area

100 Women Who Care — Chelsea Area membership is expected to donate $10,805 to North Star Reach from their October Impact Award meeting on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.

The meeting was held at Chelsea State Bank and kicked off with an interactive networking hour, where members and guests mingled with each other while connecting with local sponsors. Following the networking hour, members listened to pitches from three randomly selected charities, including Chelsea Area Historical Society, North Star Reach, and Waterloo Historical Society. The charities were asked to make their best case for the Summer Impact Award. Following the presentations from all three charities, members cast their ballots. North Star Reach received the most votes and was the recipient of the evening’s Impact Award, which exceeded $10,000.

100 Women Who Care — Chelsea Area member Michelle Elie nominated North Star Reach for consideration and Patrick Smith, Director of Camping, represented the nonprofit at the meeting. North Star Reach, based in Pinckney, is Michigan’s only barrier-free, fully accessible medical camp serving children with significant health challenges and their families, entirely free of charge.

“North Star Reach is truly grateful to 100 Women Who Care — Chelsea Area for receiving their October Impact Award,” said Smith. “This gift in support of our mission to provide life-changing camp experiences for children with serious health challenges and their families will help us continue to provide cost-free programs that are more than just fun. They are purposely designed to foster independence, resilience, and personal growth, helping children and their families to see beyond the limits of their medical conditions and experience all that life can offer.”

The next Impact Award meeting for 100 Women Who Care — Chelsea Area is scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, February 6, 2024. Women interested in joining can find all of the details at www.100wwcchelsea.org along with a list of eligible charities and information on how members can nominate charities.

Since its founding in 2020, 100 Women Who Care — Chelsea Area has awarded a grand total of more than $130,000, including member contributions and matching gifts, to ten different nonprofits.

100 Women Who Care — Chelsea Area would like to thank their generous sponsors, who collectively provide the space, resources, refreshments, and more available for this group to have a great impact, raising substantial funds for local nonprofits. Sponsors include Northstar Bank, Jewelry Set in Stone, Jen McClure with MaryKay, Patty Acton with Rodan & Fields, Sue Rodgers, Chelsea State Bank, and Culture Creations.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.