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The second annual fundraiser dinner and awards ceremony will be held Feb. 11 starting with a 5:30 p.m. reception and silent auction, 6:15 p.m. dinner and awards presentation at the Lapeer County Center building. Tickets are $35 individually or $275 for a table of eight and are available at all Lapeer County Bank & Trust branches and the Lapeer County Michigan State University Extension office.

Annette Gunderson, service learning coordinator, said the fundraiser benefits the K-12 Service Learning Center located in the Michigan State University Extension office. "Many people are benefiting. The students have an opportunity to learn and the community benefits," Gunderson said.

The event is an annual fundraiser to support youth in community service and service learning. Gunderson pointed out the Lapeer County K-12 Service Learning Center involves a 13-year cooperative effort between the Lapeer County Intermediate School District, local school districts, United Way, the Four County Community Foundation, Michigan State University Extension, and human service agencies.

The fundraiser has been established to support the Lapeer County K-12 Service Learning Center. The 13-year partnership effort between county schools and community organizations has directly assisted school and community programs involving more than 2,300 county youth who gave nearly 22,000 hours of service to the community last year.

Last year the service learning center had a crowd of about 150 watch three different awards get distributed at the dinner: The Hero, Shining Star, and Champion awards.

As two examples, Gunderson said Lynch Elementary School students and staff participated in service learning through the county-wide Make a Difference Day project with a health and hygiene drive for the Department of Human Services.

Gunderson the service learning center was the brainchild of Lapeer County Commissioner Dyle Henning 13 years ago. "I started the K-12 Service Learning Center," he said. "I was on staff at MSU Extension. The way the grant was set up was to encourage the use of community service. I contacted some local people and wrote the original grant."

Henning said the center has always been set up to be a community effort. "It's open to all the community's schools and is for community service for youth," Henning said. "I think the important thing is to keep opportunities open for all youths (To volunteer) doesn't cost money. Community service can be tied to learning. When it's tied to school (kids) can get credit and I think kids benefit. I think it's important how kids feel about their community. They do learn from it and learn skills. We've had really great cooperation."

As another example, Gunderson said sixth-graders at Dryden Elementary School performed two plays for kindergarten and fourth-grade classes that were comedies with an underlying focus on explaining adverbs and adjectives.

Gunderson said during the 2006-07 school year the center assisted: 2,377 local youth in 21,953 hours of service learning and community service activities, supported 86 teachers, 53 adult volunteers and 63 community organizations. organized a summer tutoring program in which 66 teens helped 82 K-2 students, sponsored its annual Youth Service Recognition Program honoring more than 250 youth, and supervision of a county-wide project for Make a Difference Day.

The deadline for ticket purchase is Jan. 25. To get tickets or more information on the event contact Gunderson, Lapeer County K-12 Service Learning coordinator, at (810) 667-0341 or e-mail at gunder22@msu.edu.

Jennifer Decker can be reached at 664-0811, Ext. 8125 or jennifer.decker@lapeergroup.com