Business & Professional

INNOVATION

Student Windfall

Dogged Visionary

$500,000 gift to Hillel Day School
bolsters tuition-assistance program.

His preservative-free, locally made
dog treats are coming to Hiller's.

H

illel Day School recently
cannot handle the expense.
expanded its Variable
"Our tuition reflects the actual cost
Rate Tuition Program to
of education:' Freedman explained. "As
include eligible families earning up to
our generous donors know, it takes the
$200,000 per year.
entire Jewish community to educate
A $500,000 gift from an
our children. Their commit-
anonymous donor will enable
ment ensures that those who
the school to extend the pro-
cannot pay the full amount
gram to additional "middle
still have access to a Hillel
income" families, thus put-
education."
ting a Hillel education within
The 550-student school in
reach for more members of
Farmington Hills is finan-
Detroit's Jewish community.
cially sound and has operated
"Simply put, families who
with a balanced budget every
Steve
were not eligible in the past
year for the past six years.
Freedm an
may now qualify," said Steve
Graduates are consistently
Freedman, head of school.
recognized as among the
"I encourage any family who
most capable, well-rounded
needs help with tuition to
students in their high schools.
apply."
"While schools in our area
Rabbi Judah Isaacs, director
are squeezing 25 or 30 chil-
of Federation's Alliance for
dren into a kindergarten class
Jewish Education, was upbeat
with a single teacher, Hillel
about the expanded scholar-
kindergarten classes have 15
ship pool at Hillel.
students taught by a skilled
"We encourage families in
teacher and a full-time assis-
the community to seriously
tant," Freedman said.
consider Hillel Day School
"We remain committed to
as a place to help their children grow
small class sizes, small teacher-to-
both academically and spiritually as
student ratios, the latest in technology,
Jews within our community," Isaacs
and a range of enriching and extra-
said.
curricular activities!"
"This new gift, together with the
Those activities include musical
Shiffman Family Tuition Assistance
theater, a variety of sports and other
Fund, which will provide a little under after-school offerings.
$500,000 to Hillel next year, will
"We want this education to be
enable the school to have significant
available to as many Jewish children
scholarship funding available to assist
as possible said Board of Trustees
families in our community."
President Jim Berger.
Hillel's Variable Rate Tuition
"During these difficult economic
Program is available due to sup-
times, it is not only reassuring to
port from the Jewish Federation of
know that Hillel is fiscally stable,
Metropolitan Detroit, the Shiffman
but also is able to provide additional
Family Day School Tuition Assistance
dollars to help current families
Program, the Goldman-Hermelin
remain at Hillel and to attract new
Education Foundation and the com-
families."
mitment of many generous donors
Now in its 51st year, Hillel Day
throughout the community.
School delivers a general and Jewish
The $500,000 gift strengthens the
education to Jewish children from
program for the 2009/10 school year,
kindergarten through eighth grade.
at a time when many families require
The school works to inspire a passion
more support to make a day school
for learning, responsibility to self and
education possible for their children.
community, and devotion to Jewish
The current financial crisis has hit
living in a warm and engaging envi-
many current and potential Hillel
ronment. ❑
families exceptionally hard. While the
$15,500 tuition for the 2009/10 school For admissions information or to learn
year is actually lower than tuitions at
more about Hillel's Variable Rate Tuition
other independent schools in south-
Program, contact Helene Brody at
eastern Michigan, many still feel they
(248)851-3200 or hbrody@hillelday.org .

Andy Gelsey

with "business
partner" Smokey

A

ndy Gelsey of West
Bloomfield had a vision. So
when he was laid off from
his job in December 2007, he put his
energy into starting a company that
creates a niche for him in the growing
pet product industry.
Earlier this year, he launched Augie
Brands Inc., an innovative dog treat
manufacturing and distribution corn-
pany based in Commerce Township.
His first employee was Smokey, the
family's 2-year-old black lab/beagle
mix, who was immediately named
"chairdog" of the board.
For eight months, Gelsey spent
hours in the kitchen focused on per-
fecting the ingredients and taste of
Augie Brands' two new product lines
— BARKscotti "the Biscotti for Dogs"
and Smokey's DogHouse Bones.
"Dog owners will be excited about
our new, high-quality treats that not
only are tasty and healthy for dogs,
but are produced from preservative-
free, natural and organic human-
grade ingredients;' said Gelsey, com-
pany president.
Augie's Brands just inked a deal to
market its treats in Hiller's Markets.
The first store to sell the product
will be the Hiller's at 3010 Union

Lake Road in
Commerce
Township.
"Hiller's
Market always
has shown a
strong com-
mitment to
Michigan prod-
ucts," Gelsey said.
"When I started
Augie Brands, I wanted to stay com-
mitted to using as many local suppli-
ers as possible. Currently, 70 percent
of ingredients we use to make [our
treats] have come from Michigan-
based farms and companies!"
BARKscotti come in three flavors:
oatmeal apple cranberry, peanut but-
ter carob chip and carob.
Smokey's DogHouse Bones are
available in four flavors: peanut but-
ter, oatmeal peanut butter chip, carob
n' chip and molasses. They will be
available online beginning in the first
quarter of 2009.
When he started this business,
Gelsey felt it also was important
to give back to the community. He
founded Smokey Cares — a portion
of the company's proceeds will sup-
port four-legged causes throughout
Michigan and the U.S.
"I started Augie Brands' Smokey
Cares initiative because I know the
key to being a successful business is to
be a good community citizen," he said.
"So I wanted to make sure that my
company gives back to the areas that
we serve!"
For more information, contact Andy
Gelsey at (248) 624-DOGS (3647) or
info@smokeysdoghouse.com .

❑

iN

January 29 s 2009

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