Dowagiac group raising money through ornament sales

Published 8:35 am Wednesday, November 22, 2017

DOWAGIAC — A local service organization is looking to give people the chance to give a friend, loved one or even themselves the gift of Dowagiac this holiday season.

Members of the Young Professionals of Greater Dowagiac are currently selling the group’s latest “Uniquely Dowagiac” Christmas ornament, which depicts the first lure created and sold by Dowagiac’s famous Heddon Company. The decoration is being sold for $25 a piece, and may be purchased online at ypdowagiac.wixsite.com/uniquelydowagiac, or at several locations in Dowagiac, including:

• Bakeman Barbers, 101 S. Front St.

• The Baker’s Rhapsody, 144 S. Front St.

• Dowagiac Area History Museum, 201 E. Division St.

• The Heddon Museum, 414 West St.

Sales from the ornaments will go toward the various community events the Young Professionals — one of Dowagiac’s largest and fastest growing service organizations — hosts throughout the year, including its Daddy-Daughter Dance in February, its Fourth of July fireworks show at Russom Park, and its Mother-Son event in October.

“They [the ornaments] make a great gift for the fisherman in your life, or for someone who just loves Dowagiac history,” said Rebecca Steenbeke, social media chair of the service organization.

The decorations also make great gifts for Dowagiac natives who have since moved away from The Grand Old City, as they can always have a little piece of Dowagiac with them wherever they are, Steenbeke said.

This is the third year that the group has sold a “Uniquely Dowagiac” holiday decoration, which are created by Hestia Creations, based out of Marblehead, Massachusetts.

As the name implies, the Christmas tree ornaments feature logos and designs that are steeped in Dowagiac lore. In 2015, the group sold ornaments that depicted the Dowagiac Chieftain mascot. Last year, they offered decorations that sported one of the wood burning stoves from the city’s first industrial giant, the Round Oak Stove Company.

“I think the community really likes them because each one shows off a different aspect of the community and its history that people can be proud of,” Steenbeke said. “Plus, they make a great collectable.”

Those who did not purchase the last two ornaments are in luck, as the group still has a handful of 2015 and 2016 decorations available for purchase, Steenbeke said.

“If you are looking to start your own collection, now is the perfect time to do so,” she said.

People interested in joining or learning more about the Young Professionals may visit its Facebook page, facebook.com/YPDowagiac, for information about the group and its next meeting, which will be in December.