By Greg Horner, Senior Editor.
High-class food, gourmet chocolate and supporting a good cause – what more could a person ask for? On Thursday, Nov. 19 the Tri-Counties came together at the Horizons Conference Center, 6200 State St., Saginaw,to support the Delta College Foundation’s annual A Chocolate Affair.
The purpose of the fundraiser is to raise money for the Foundation’s Possible Dream program, which has supported over 1,800 students from sixth through12th grade since 1992. The program exposes students to a variety of cultural and educational opportunities.Students are nominated by their teachers and come from public and private schools throughout the Tri-County area.
“This is everything for us,” says Dorian Phelps,coordinator of the Possible Dream program. “Our events for the dreamers are totally free and everything we do has to be funded and it’s not funded by the students. So,it’s funded by the generosity of the donors and sponsors here – our budget comes straight from the proceeds of this.”
Phelps looks for activities in the region that will expand interest in academics and art.
“I try to hit all the pathways – whether it’s college readiness, human services, art – and we do a lot with STEM,” says Phelps. “These kids, and I call them dreamers, are amazing and this program helps them stay focused and see the benefits of education.”The occasion allowed the students to thank sponsors for their support.
Ryan Foley, from Birch Run High School, has been involved in the Possible Dream program for three years and is thankful for the activities he’s experienced.
“I think it gives lower-income students, whose parents don’t make a lot of money, opportunities to do things that they wouldn’t be able to do on their own,”says Foley. “I got to go see some plays, and I got to go to a science class this summer. It was a lot fun and I’m really happy I went.”
Bob Rathbun, executive vice president and COO of Chemical Bank, has been attending A Chocolate Affair for over a decade. Chemical Bank has been a major sponsor of the benefit for over 10 years and Rathbun is happy to see people from Bay, Saginaw and Midland county come together to support students.
“It’s a great opportunity for young students to look at what their future might be and to work toward that as they go through school,” says Rathbun. “I just love talking with people from all the communities and supporting this fantastic event.”
Sponsors were treated to a buffet of delicious food provided by the Horizons Conference Center. The menu included stuffed mushrooms, butternut squash ravioli and chicken marsala bites, just to name a few.
The desserts were provided by three bakeries in the Tri-County area: Petit 4 Pastry in Essexville, Pâttisserie in Saginaw and the VanillaBean BakeShop LLC in Midland.
Attendees were free to roam around the conference center and marvel at the chocolate creations on display;once their eyes were satisfied, volunteers cut up the treats and passed them along to the guests.
Jim and Terry Wolohan of Wolohan Enterprises in Saginaw have been supporting and attending A Chocolate Affair for many years. While they love the chocolate, their favorite part of the event is supporting a good cause.
“It’s a wonderful way to reach out to children in their formative years and really give them a little extra help in terms of education, social development and cultural exposure,” says Jim Wolohan.
Terry Wolohan agrees with her husband and is happy to see Delta reach out to support young students. “I think it’s really nice that Delta has this kind of visibility, it’s good for the college and it’s good for the people in the area to see Delta College in this type of venue.”
Mike and Sheila Hanisko sold tickets for the event and served as this year’s Bay County honorary ticket chairs. For them, the highlight of the night is meeting the people who are affected by their donations.
“We knew about the program… but to meet some of the kids firsthand and to hear about their stories was incredibly touching,” says Mike Hanisko.
Mikayla Burtch has been in the Possible Dream program for four years. As a dreamer she’s seen circus shows, gone sailing and has received scholarships to a variety of summer camps. She was happy to see the number of people who turned out to support students such as herself.
“With all the experiences that I’ve had I can’t wait to get to know the sponsors, learn about their lives and ask them why they support this great program,” says Burtch. “I want to thank them for giving students as great an opportunity as this.”
