Teaming up: The impact of the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational

After the cameras stopped filming, the crowds left, and the tents came down at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, the event’s impact continues to make positive ripples in the region.

With local impact in mind, the tournament set the goal of contributing more than $500,000 directly to the region. As a part of the tournament’s pre-play #TeamUp event partnered LPGA players with local leaders and regional nonprofits to give away $200,000 in community contributions to local organizations.

Here is how three of those recipient organizations are putting those funds to use.

Ten16 Recovery Network's new facility in Center City opened in September 2019.

Ten16 Recovery Network

The Ten16 Recovery Network officially opened the doors of their new facility in September 2019. Moving from their previous location in the Strosacker Building in Downtown Midland where they were bursting at the seams, the new facility in Center City offers patients a central location, which is important for those who lack transportation means or have constraints.

“When we were scouting for a new location, we looked at a heat map of where our clients were coming from to help determine the new office,” says Sam Price, President and CEO of Ten16 Recovery Network. “And we now have more square footage, community meeting space for support groups to meet after hours, and room for continued growth.”

Sam Price, President and CEO of Ten16.

The mission of the Ten16 Recovery Network is to offer an open, accepting, and accommodating place where outpatient clients can come as a safe haven. It is a place free of judgement for those struggling with drugs and alcohol. Funds from the DGLBI were put towards the construction costs of the new building and allowed Ten16 to meet a construction budget without having to dip into operating funds.

“It’s important for the region to have a place like this, because lasting healing happens when you take a community-centered approach and welcome those who need help with open arms,” says Price. “Knowing they have constant support and a place to go is something that helps patients with treatment, and results in better outcomes.”

A place of nonjudgement, Ten16 offers free pizza lunches for those that need a safe place to talk.

Ten16 takes an open approach to treatment and care, offering walk-in availability on Tuesdays, but additional accommodations can be made in times of need. The facility also offers computers for those who need to use them to do research or look for employment, and hosts ‘Recovery by the Slice’ lunches, with free pizza for those who just want to come in and talk through current life struggles.

“This is a safe place for people to come if they are facing a struggle in their life and have turned to drugs or alcohol,” says Price. “As an open environment, those problems become easier to talk about if we keep the fear and stigma away.”

Computers for research and job searches are available for use.

Ten16 can help just about anyone who walks through the door, whether they have insurance or not, as there are state programs and grants available for assistance and supplemental support to offset copays and deductibles.

“The most important thing in all of this is being able to understand another person’s journey. It’s often a misunderstanding that this is a choice that someone made,” says Price. “In about 70-80% of cases, our clients have past childhood trauma and circumstances beyond their control that they have been struggling with for some time. There is a brokenness, and they need help healing.”

If you or someone you know needs help, you can find more information at http://www.1016.org/.

The team at HopeWell Ranch includes 16 rescue horses, 20 chickens, five goats, five ducks and three rabbits.

HopeWell Ranch

With a team of 16 rescue horses, 20 chickens, five goats, five ducks and three rabbits, HopeWell Ranch works with children, adults, and teams to provide help, growth and healing through equine-assisted therapy.

“We have a variety of programs that create an environment of hope, healing, and purpose for our clients,” says Jodi Stuber, co-founder and executive director who runs HopeWell Ranch with her husband Ty. “From our Unbridled Potential program that works with kids, to our Project Solomon Veteran’s Program, to our classes on equine-assisted therapy and learning, we have so much to offer clients through purposeful help and healing.”

HopeWell Ranch has classes for kids, veterans, groups and more.

The team at HopeWell Ranch helps people grow and work through emotional and physical issues, but courses are also offered for team building, professional development, and more. Equine therapy is where the horses really shine though and HopeWell Ranch is certified in EAGALA, a standard for equine-assisted therapy.

“Horses mirror what is going on inside of people and it is really amazing to see them at work,” says Stuber. “So many times, we see people that are stuck emotionally with something and the horses help bring it to the forefront.”

Jodi Stuber and HopeWell employee Amanda at the DGLBI.

HopeWell Ranch sees about 3,000 visitors and clients each year through all the different programs offered. The effort is a big lift and the facility also works with interns from Central Michigan University, Mid Michigan College, and Saginaw Valley State University as well, hosting interns each year.

The organization also relies on the help of volunteers. HopeWell is one of a few organizations that accepts children as volunteers. Those 13 and older can volunteer on their own, and those who are younger can volunteer as long as they are accompanied by a guardian. Often it is a family outing that brings volunteers to the facility to help with chores and tasks.

Horses have an intuitive way of knowing what is going on internally.

The funds from the DBLGI will go to support HopeWell Ranch’s overall mission as well as animal care.

“The horses need plenty of care to keep them healthy and they regularly see a vet, a dentist, chiropractor, and farrier for hoof trimming,” says Stuber. “Plus, there is the cost of their feed and supplements as well, so it is big undertaking.”

HopeWell gets a ringside seat to miracles each day.

The impact is significant Stuber says.

“One day I received a call from a veteran who had gone through Project Solomon and he wanted to thank us for providing a safe place for him to heal. He explained that he was in a very dark place previously not wanting to live and coming here helped him find hope and a reason to live again. So, we get a ringside seat to miracles everyday here.”

To learn more about Hopewell Ranch find them at http://www.hopewellranch.org/ or on Facebook.

Funds from DGLBI will go to support critical equipment and supplies that make up the program.

BaySail

While the region is ripe with STEM opportunities, few offer the experience quite like BaySail’s Science Under Sail Program aboard the organization’s Appledore IV and Appledore V schooners.

The program engages students in real-world, problem-based learning, through scientific observations and measurements of weather, water quality, aquatic life, and human impact on the environment aboard the two tall ships in Bay City. Funds from DGLBI will go to support critical equipment and supplies that make up the program.

BaySail offers a variety of educational programs.

One of BaySail’s many educational programs, the K-12 Science Under Sail gives students the chance to explore the local Saginaw Bay Watershed while supporting teachers through engaging activities to help foster environmental stewardship in the next generation of problem solvers.

The program typically runs in the spring and the fall during the school year. Students and teachers have an array of learning opportunities from a variety of BaySail’s curriculum options including the study of plankton and their role in the food web, water pollution and its sources and using longitude and latitude to navigate while reading a compass and mapping a trip.

BaySail hosts over 3,000 students in the Science Under Sail Program each year.

“Each year, over 3,000 students from around the state of Michigan take part in our Science Under Sail Program," says Shirley Roberts, Executive Director of BaySail. “Since inception in 1998, well over 50,000 students from around the state have taken part in this award-winning educational program.”

Science Under Sail is a hands-on, experiential learning opportunity that utilizes our local environmental resources to teach students about weather, navigation, our local watershed, chemistry and so much more.

Science Under Sail gives students the chance to explore the local Saginaw Bay Watershed.

“We are lucky to have this resource in the community and we are the only tall ship vessel offering this kind of program in the state,” says Roberts. “Plus it makes for a pretty great day for everyone in a hands-on learning environment that is both educational and fun.”

To learn more about BaySail’s educational programs, you can find them online or on Facebook.

Other nonprofit organizations that received funding through the #TeamUp event include: The Barb Smith Suicide Resource and Response Network, Bay County Habitat for Humanity, Bridge the Gap, Camp Fish Tails, Castle Museum of Saginaw County History, Chippewa Nature Center, City Market, City of Mt. Pleasant Partners Empowering All Kids (PEAK), Clothing INC, CMURC, Dow Bay Area Family YMCA, Family & Children’s Services, First of the GLB, Greater Michigan Construction Academy, Hidden Harvest, Little Forks Conservancy, Math in the Mail, Midland Center for the Arts, Midland County ESA/The Pediatric Center, Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, Mid-Michigan Society of Women Engineers, MMI, MyTeam Triumph, Pulse3 Foundation, R.I.S.E. Advocacy, Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy, Saginaw Bay Water Initiative Network, Saginaw Township Soccer Association, Special Olympics Michigan, The Care Store, YMCA of Saginaw and YWCA Great Lakes Bay Region.