Michigan Foundation Gives $100K to Cancer Care and Kids' Pool

After nearly three decades of asking for donations, the Community Foundation for Delta County decided it was time to give back in a big way.

The foundation handed out two $50,000 grants at its annual dinner in Escanaba, Michigan, last night. One check went to the Northern Lights YMCA to build a new aquatic center where local kids can learn to swim and families can play together. The other went to OSF HealthCare Foundation to bring radiation therapy to the Upper Peninsula, so cancer patients won't have to travel hours for treatment.

The shift from fundraiser to giveaway celebration happened last year when the foundation transformed its event into an appreciation dinner. Instead of collecting money, they thanked the sponsors and donors who make their year round programs possible.

Those programs have become lifelines in Delta County. The Feed the Kids Backpack Program makes sure students have food on weekends. The Veterans Program serves more than 160 veteran families with food baskets and support throughout the year. The Save a Life Program has distributed automated defibrillators throughout the community, and they've already been credited with multiple rescues.

This isn't the first time the foundation has stepped up with major gifts. In 2020, they gave $50,000 to Beacon House for a new facility. A few years later, another $50,000 helped launch the Daniel J. Kobasic Cancer Clinic, bringing cancer treatment closer to home for Delta County residents.

The Ripple Effect

The two new grants will touch lives across generations. Kids learning to swim at the new aquatic center will gain confidence and water safety skills that could save their lives someday. Cancer patients receiving radiation therapy locally can sleep in their own beds and stay close to family during treatment instead of making exhausting trips to distant cities.

Administrative coordinator Connie Mayville says every sponsorship dollar goes directly to programs, not overhead. That efficiency means the foundation can respond quickly when the community needs help most.

The foundation's board and staff spent the dinner celebrating the sponsors and legacy donors who make this generosity possible. Their continued support means Delta County can keep helping where help is needed most.