Lapeer County Treasurer’s Association raises funds for foster kids’ holiday party
TRI-CITY AREA — Number crunchers. Bean counters. Penny pinchers. Whatever they’re referred to as, the reference often conjures up images of Bob Cratchett, breath clouding in the cold, toiling away in his fingerless gloves as Ebenezer Scrooge counts the coins on Christmas Eve.
However, Scrooge was nowhere in sight as members of the Lapeer County Treasurer’s Association met last week for their annual Christmas party.
The local number crunchers gathered at the ChoiceOne Wealth Management Center in Lapeer to network and share information, and to open their hearts and their own wallets for a local cause.
Goodland Twp. Treasurer Louis Parsch hands check to Lois Woodworth for the annual Lapeer County Foster Care Program Christmas Party. The Lapeer County Treasurer’s Association raised almost $600 for the event.
Goodland Twp. Treasurer Louis Parsch says around 30 members and guests at the gathering donated close to $600 for the Lapeer County Health Department Foster Care Program’s annual Christmas party for the kids. Parsch nominated the event, which has been coordinated by Imlay City resident Lois Woodworth for almost 40 years.
“Every year we get to choose a local charity to raise money for and this year mine was picked,” Parsch says with a grin. “The members are all local people and they were happy to pitch in.”
Happy—and grateful—are what come to mind for Imlay City Clerk-Treasurer Dawn Sawicki-Franz. She’s been on the job at City Hall for three years, and currently serves as the secretary for the LCTA.
Sawicki-Franz says she enjoys the camaraderie and educational benefits of being a member of the group. That it’s locally focused is also a big plus, she adds.
“They’re always glad to help out the community and always very generous, especially since this is a local donation,” Sawicki Franz says. “We always keep everything local in this group.”
Their generosity will be enjoyed by dozens of Lapeer County youths in the Foster Care program. Woodworth, who is approaching her 80th birthday, has been bringing Christmas cheer to kids in the program for the past four decades. She was thrilled to learn that the LCTA raised funds for this year’s party.
“It’s awesome,” Woodworth says. “Every year people step up and help out for the Christmas party, and this year is no exception.”
The funds will be used to provide food, gifts and holiday festivities for the 2022 party.
When they’re not raising funds for local charities, LCTA members meet quarterly to share news and information and to check in with the Lapeer County Treasurer Dana Miller.
Participants include treasurers from Lapeer County’s 18 townships and seven cities and villages.
Associate members include ChoiceOne Bank, Chase Bank, Comerica Bank and Northstar Bank.
The November 30 LCTA Christmas party-meeting was sponsored by Northstar Bank. ChoiceOne Bank donated the use of their building.
ChoiceOne’s Walt Bargen, Ken Harroun of Comerica Bank, Yvonne Carr of Chase Bank, and Northstar Bank’s Bobbie Fisher were on hand, and also donated to the cause.
