DOWAGIAC — Last Friday, nine women sat inside a jury box inside the Cass County Law and Courts building.

Not one was dressed in traditional courtroom attire of a business formal suit jacket and slacks. Instead, the women — employees of the Cass County Law and Courts Building — were dressed in their casual clothing and jeans. It was a luxury they paid for in order to support a local cause.

Friday afternoon, employees with the Cass County Law and Courts Building and the Cass County Clerk’s Office presented a $500 check donation to United Way of Southwest Michigan. The money was collected over the course of six months when employees donated money in order to wear jeans on Fridays. A total of 15 employees participated in the fundraiser, according to Carol Bealor, director of Cass County Friend of the Court.

The fundraiser served as a fun way for employees to give back to the county, Bealor said.

“Working in government, you are always asking people to support the initiatives we have, so this is [employees’] way of giving back,” she said. “Plus, the employees like to wear jeans, so it works out well.”

The United Way fundraiser was the first fundraiser supported through jean day Fridays, Bealor said. She said employees chose United Way to give to as the organization has supported Cass County for years. In addition to funding literacy projects in the county, United Way has given money to Cass County children in foster care to provide them with extra therapy and activities that the state does not pay for.

“[United Way has] been really good to many community projects in Cass,” Bealor said. “We thought [United Way] was a really good fit. … We are so grateful for United Way’s support, and we are just happy that we could give back.”

Representatives with United Way said they were grateful for the donation and that it would be put back into the Cass County community through United Way programs. United Way funds help support many programs in Cass County including the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and Great Start Collaborative, both of which help promote early childhood literacy in the county.

“We are very appreciative [of the donation]. It is fantastic,” said Amanda Drew, director of impact strategies for United Way. “This money will be used to support the families and individuals that live in Cass County. … Every donation we receive helps.”