Fundraisers often offer Tricky Trays, galas, bowling, and other fun events. For the third year in a row, The Helm at the Boll Life Center in Grosse Pointe Farms is doing something very unique. “We had a number of our donors who were interested in doing clay shooting, so we started looking into it a few years ago,” says Krista Siddall, The Helm’s executive director.
The first fundraiser was so successful that they decided to continue to hold the event. This year, The Helm Sporting Clays Classic is being held on Thursday, May 14, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Huntsman Club in Dryden.
Sponsors sign up in teams of four, and in addition to clay shooting, there’s so much more. The day starts off with some amazing appetizers, and then the clay shooting takes place. Afterwards, the groups come back in, grab a drink, and then sit and have a leisurely lunch in the clubhouse. There is a relaxed flow to the whole day.
“It's honestly one of my favorite events of the year for a couple of reasons,” she says. “One, we have it at The Huntsman Club, and it is a lovely place to be outside all day. We’ve had a lot of people say how nice it is just to get to drive out there, relax, and be out shooting in that environment.”
Krista’s second reason is the food. “We do a lunch and there is a variety of wonderful food. It is unbelievably great and one of my favorite meals of the year. The Club offers a really wide variety of specialty items such as little steak sandwiches, really great shrimp, hummus and pitas, vegetable dishes, and all types of meats that you can’t necessarily always find.”
There’s also a great assortment of desserts, including mini pastries and cookies. The Huntsman Club, she says, is very customer-centric, so they try to meet everyone’s taste.
Attendees also appreciate the camaraderie of the event, with the opportunity to get together with friends, family, and neighbors and just have a great time.
The fundraiser is offering four different types of sponsorships this year: Presenting Sponsor - $10,000; Shooting Station - $4,000; Ammo - $3,000; and Clay - $2,000.
All sponsorships also include a four-person team entry fee, ammunition, appetizers, lunch, cocktails, beer, wine, and soft drinks; recognition on The Helm website; verbal recognition at the event; and recognition on signage. Lunch-only and other options are also available. More information about these and what each sponsorship includes can be found on The Helm’s website.
“People love the food, they love being out there, but at the same time they are learning more about The Helm in an environment that is a little bit slower paced,” says Krista.
While many in the community understand just how vital the organization is, many others don’t realize all that it does. It’s all about neighbors continuing to help neighbors to get through the latter part of life with grace and dignity.
“We served over 3,183 individuals last year,” she says. “We had close to 2,000 calls and home visits, about 2,000 medical equipment loans, and we served 33,000 meals last year. And, the need and the demand continue to increase.”
The Helm also provided more than 4,200 hours of programming last year. “We do 250 programs a month, and we are growing. We are adding an adult day program in The Village that will be launched in the spring.”
This is huge because it will be a safe place for those suffering with dementia or decreased cognitive function to stay for a few hours a day so caregivers can get some much-needed respite. “We're looking to expand beyond our walls because we're almost hitting capacity,” says Krista. “We want to have more of a global campus around the community, offering different programming. We've got a lot of big plans, and it's an exciting time for us.”
She explains the organization depends on fundraisers throughout the year for a large percentage of its budget. “They help us to continue to grow our services and serve more people. We're seeing a huge flux of people turning 60 and over every day in Michigan, as well as in Grosse Pointe, and it's important that we can continue to shift our services to meet the needs of the demand that we see every day.”
For those who cannot attend any of the fundraising events but still want to support The Helm’s mission, they can donate right on the website. “We always really appreciate that as well,” says Krista.
For more information about The Helm and to register for the event, go to HelmLife.org.
“We've got a lot of big plans, and it's an exciting time for us.