Philanthropy might bring to mind pictures of rich donors bequeathing estates and life savings.
However, in Milan right now it looks a lot more like local residents asking the community to support trade scholarships for students or a new roof for a building with a scandalous history.
“For years and years we have only offered scholarships focused on one thing, which is going to college,” said Cassie Prior, a Captain for Team Milan and a member of the board of the Greater Milan Area Community Fund, in the kickoff video for the Philanthropy Games. “So many kids are looking into different jobs when they get out—electrician, plumber, cosmetologists and we want to be able to support them as well.”
To get the Games off to a good start, Monroe County Sports Network interviewed each of the teams, creating videos like that featuring Prior, which are posted on the Community Foundation of Monroe County’s Facebook page.
The competition
The eight-week challenge pits 12 teams with 12 missions against each other. It started in August and will continue through Oct. 2 when the teams will have a final live showdown at Pin Seekers in Monroe.
Each team is playing for points, which determine how much of the Fan Fund they’ll take home at the end of the competition. On top of that, the top two teams will earn additional grant awards: $5,000 for first place and $2,500 for second place, provided by the Community Foundation of Monroe County, which organized the event.
But, the real winners could be the communities.
David Snyder, a Team Captain with Prior, told The Sun Times News that the vocational scholarships they’re trying to fund will be tailored to what students need. Some who want to go into vocational fields have employers who will pay for the training, but need expensive tools, he said. This scholarship could cover the cost of tools instead of tuition. He also said it could be for students right out of high school or older adults looking to gain skills for a new career.
At press time, TeamMilan (GMACF) was in the lead of the 12 teams competing in the Philanthropy Playoffs.
Milan Area Historical Society
Also competing is Team Milan Area Historical Society. They are trying to raise money for capital improvements at the Hack House, including the roof and foundation.
One of the team captains Sophia Kloc, a board member of the Milan Area Historical Society, calls the 1888 Victorian, “a gem of architectural history.” It was built by Olive Friend, using money from her family’s New York stock fraud involving an imaginary electric sugar refining machine.
Kloc’s day job is working at the Henry Ford at Greenfield Village, utilizing her master’s degree in historic preservation from Eastern Michigan University. She started volunteering in 2023 with the Milan Area Historical Society and is tackling an initiative to inventory everything in the historic building so it can be better utilized in exhibits and programming.
“At Hack House, we tell the incredible story of the scandalous first owner of the home and the legacy of a hardworking farm family that flourished there for the next seven decades,” Kloc said. “We also have dedicated exhibit space highlighting what life was like for all residents in Milan for over a century. The Milan Area Historical Society is interested in preserving not only Milan’s history, but a representation of life in small town America.”
The building is used for school field trips, tours and community events.
“We’re just trying to make sure that top to bottom that the building is in a secure condition,” said Kloc.
Additional causes
Other teams are raising money to:
- Train volunteers to advocate for foster children going to court
- Install defibrillators across Monroe County
- Support a youth-led service program
- Increase mental health support
- Provide emergency housing assistance
- Loan out a special electric-assist trishaw bike to allow older adults those with limited mobility to ride outdoors
- Hold community events
- Offer scholarships
- Stop human trafficking
Philanthropists of all types
Whether it’s kids selling lemonade for a good cause, residents able to give a few dollars to help their town or a generous individual willing to bequeath their estate, all Milan area residents can be philanthropists, said Valerie Orr, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Monroe County.
All money given to local organizations stays in the community.
To support a team or see who’s in the lead, visit www.cfmonroe.org/playoffs or follow along with weekly team updates, videos, and leaderboard shifts on the Community Foundation of Monroe County’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/cfmonroe).
“It’s great to see the success of everyone else,” Kloc said. “We’re excited to be a part of an incredible community that’s really showing up for all of Monroe County.”
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