ADRIAN — The Lenawee Community Foundation celebrated accomplishments over the past year and honored several people for their service to the community during the organization’s annual breakfast on April 17.
The event, which was held at the Adrian Armory Event Center, began by noting some of 2024’s accomplishments. Jim Kapnick, treasurer of the LCF board, shared that the goal of raising $2 million for the new Health, Happiness, and Hope Fund was exceeded. The purpose of the H3 Fund is to be a flexible, local resource that can meet needs and opportunities as they arise.
Paula Trentman, the LCF’s vice president and director of grants and programs, talked about milestones in the past year, which included increasing the amount of scholarships awarded to Lenawee County students by $100,000, bringing the annual total to more than $345,000.
“These aren’t just checks — they’re investments in our people, in their futures, and in the future of Lenawee,” she said.
The Hunters Helping Lenawee program also had a record year, with 5,178 pounds of fresh venison being donated to local food assistance programs. Fifteen new charitable funds were established in 2024, and the foundation awarded nearly $6 million in grants.
Awards were presented to two couples and two individuals.
The Lenawee Lifetime Legacy Award, which honors consistent giving to multiple local causes for 20 years or more, was presented to Gary and Cindi Gray. Nearly 35 years ago, the Grays created Hot Rock Basketball Training Camp to teach basketball and life lessons to young people at no charge. Gary Gray is CEO of the Gray Institute and director of program development and education at 3DPT Physical Therapy. Cindi Gray volunteered and taught at the Adrian Training School for 20 years, has volunteered for numerous other organizations, and wrote a historical fiction book, “Locust in the Sandbox,” about the 1963 bombing of a Black church that killed four girls in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Lenawee Leadership Award was presented to Robert L. Vogel. This award, formerly known as the Maple Leaf Award, is given to people who exemplify the principle that the future of Lenawee County will be determined by the quality of its leadership. Vogel, a Clinton High School graduate, worked at Hardwoods of Michigan in Clinton for 43 years, serving as vice president for nine years and president for 20 years. He has served on numerous boards, including that of the Lenawee Community Foundation, where he was instrumental in starting the Hunters Helping Lenawee program.
The Stubnitz Award, named for philanthropists Maurice and Dorothy Stubnitz, was presented to Stanley and Karen Caine. Stan Caine is a former president of Adrian College and has been active in the Rotary Club, Lenawee Community Foundation, and Lenawee County Educational Foundation. Karen Caine has been a tennis coach and served on the boards of Housing Help of Lenawee and the Adrian Symphony Orchestra. She is currently the president of the Stubnitz Foundation board, on which she has served since 2006. The Caines are members of First United Methodist Church in Adrian and have volunteered with Meals on Wheels and Share the Warmth.
The Incito Award, which recognizes people under the age of 40 who have emerged as community leaders, was presented to Jacob B. Wright. Wright is a Tecumseh High School graduate who earned degrees in architecture from the University of Michigan and now works at Krieghoff-Lenawee Co. He serves on the boards of Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Michigan and the Lenawee County Land Bank Authority, and is active in local government in Raisin Township. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Tecumseh and chairs the club’s Canoe Race committee.
