Michigan Volunteers Raise $8,800 for Hospital Scholarships

When volunteers at MyMichigan Medical Center Clare gathered on June 11 to draw winning raffle tickets, they were celebrating more than just four lucky winners. They were witnessing how a small community can make a massive difference in healthcare.

The Third Annual Pot O' Gold Raffle pulled in over $8,800 this year, with all proceeds going directly to patient care improvements, hospital upgrades, and scholarships for medical students. Stephanie Hernandez, Dorene Jackson, Emily Lilly, and Samara Schreiber each won $500 cash prizes, but the real winners are the future doctors and nurses who'll get their shot at education.

The fundraiser supports the Clare Volunteers Fund through MyMichigan Health Foundation. Every dollar raised stays local, investing in healthcare initiatives that serve the Clare community for years to come.

"Our volunteers are truly the heart of so much that happens at MyMichigan Medical Center Clare," said Caylyn Pietryga, the volunteer services coordinator. Their dedication shows up not just in raffle ticket sales, but in gift shop operations and special events throughout the year.

The Ripple Effect

The impact of these volunteer efforts reaches far beyond a single fundraiser. In recent years, their combined work has helped fund a massive 51,000 square-foot expansion at the medical center, including a new emergency department, inpatient unit, and imaging department with an MRI.

This year alone, the scholarship fund awarded three students attending Mid Michigan College. Those students represent something powerful: a community investing in the very people who will care for them tomorrow.

"Through their friendships, service and commitment to our community, they continue to make a lasting difference for patients and families," said Becky Church, director of the MyMichigan Health Foundation. The volunteers prove that caring for your neighbors doesn't stop at the hospital bedside.

Anyone in Clare can join this effort by volunteering or supporting the foundation's work. Sometimes the most powerful medicine is the kind a community prescribes for itself.