Chelsea Community Foundation Awards $5,250 to Local Charities at the Third Annual Ann Feeney Service Awards

Honoring Chelsea’s Community Leaders with Grants to Local Nonprofits

Community News

The Chelsea Community Foundation hosted a magical evening in Honor of Ann Feeney at Robin Hills Farm. Chelsea Community Foundation (CCF) recognized each of the five Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual 2023 Honorees by awarding them a $1,000 grant. The Honorees chose a public Chelsea charity to receive the grants in honor of Ann Feeney, who personified the Chelsea Community Foundation’s desire to “Support All Things Chelsea.”

Anne Mann. Courtesy MC Creative Design & Photography.

From left to right Joe Ziolkowski, Katelyn Videto, Anne Merkel, Anne Mann, Abby Hurst. Courtesy MC Creative Design & Photography.

Anne Merkel, Chair of Chelsea Community Foundation, and Katelyn Videto, Director Donor Services, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, presented the awards to:

Large Business Leadership Award recipient Patrick Povlich who granted $1,000 to Project 418
Small Business Leadership Award to Eder & Diver Insurance Agency who granted $1,000 to Faith In Action
Nonprofit Business Leadership – The Rotary Club of Chelsea granted $1,000 to the Chelsea Rotary Foundation
Chelsea Citizen of the Year Kria Grifka who granted $1,000 to SHAPE (Sexual Harassment & Abuse Prevention & Education)
Chelsea Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Anne Mann who granted $1,000 to Main Street Park Alliance

Chelsea Community Foundation Advisory Member Andy Kellogg spoke about the vital work CCF is doing and how their ability to fund grants is limited by the amount the organization receives in donations and the $2.8M endowment fund. Since 1995, CCF has invested 2.1 million dollars in nonprofits in Chelsea. He encouraged people to consider donating to ensure the continued growth of the CCF legacy in Supporting All Things Chelsea. To learn more about donating or creating a family or business endowment, please get in touch with Katelyn Videto at KVideto@cfsem.org or donate here.

Ballet Chelsea Dancers. Courtesy MC Creative Design & Photography.

Jean Delwiche. Courtesy MC Creative Design & Photography.

Anne Colone, a Chelsea resident, and Chelsea Community Foundation Donor, shared her journey to finding the “best organization to allocate funds” in a community from her head and her heart. Colone spoke about the importance of understanding a foundation’s infrastructure and allocation process and how it makes a difference to the people in a community.

Jean Delwiche spoke on behalf of Ballet Chelsea, a 2024 grant recipient. She shared the critical importance of the $10,000 grant and how it will help promote and build Ballet Chelsea’s “Dancing Back Program” to bring student enrollment back to pre-pandemic levels.

The evening was magical – The Chelsea Chamber Players String Quartet provided lovely music. Ballet Chelsea Ballerinas graced the event, performing Nutcracker vignettes on the outdoor patio. Gallery 100 was represented with three original works of art by their current artist on exhibition Craig Cossey. Maxine’s Table provided food, and Robin Hills Farm served signature cocktails and beverages.

From left to right Chris Louks, Rob Caplis, Anne Colone. Courtesy MC Creative Design & Photography.

Anne Merkel articulated the evening’s purpose, “We are here to join the legacy of those whose actions have illustrated their devotion to improving our community and inspiring others.” She spoke about Ann Feeney’s enduring impact on the Chelsea Community and her years of service, including the City of Chelsea’s first Mayor from 2004-2009. One hundred sixty guests enjoyed the beautiful Robin Hills vista and the company of people who share a common thread – to make Chelsea a sustainably vibrant community.