Last week Oakland County employees were able to give back to local charities with donations gathered through the Employee Casual Day program. Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson presented 19 local charities a total of $31,500 from the Oakland County Employee Casual Day Fund. County employees dress casual on Thursdays and Fridays for a minimum donation of $1 and all money is collected for distribution to local charity organizations. Patterson said, “Our county employees are among the most generous individuals I know, whether it is donating their time or money.” 

Since its inception 23 years ago, employees have donated more than $800,000 and touched the lives of thousands of people. This year employees raised an additional $19,500 on Special Casual days for designated recipients; increasing their total charitable contributions in 2015 to $50,000. A record collection of $7,000 was raised during a Special Casual Day for fallen Michigan State Trooper Chad Wolf, who died in the line of duty while on patrol in northern Oakland County.

The 19 charities who received donations are:

• American Diabetes Association
• The Baldwin Center
• Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center
• Canine Advocacy Program
• Child Abuse and Neglect Council (CARE House)
• D-MAN Foundation
• Donate Life Coalition of Michigan
• Give-a-Christmas Year Around
• Grace Centers of Hope
• HAVEN
• Helping Hearts Helping Hands
• Kids Kicking Cancer
• McLaren Children’s Clinic
• Oakland County Pioneer & Historical Society
• Oxford/Orion FISH
• The Rainbow Connection
• Rebuilding Together Oakland County
• Toys for Tots
• Walk the Line to Spinal Cord Injury Recovery

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The charities receiving donations this year are all integral parts of the Oakland County community by providing food, toys, money, shelter and special programs. Donations to these charities help to further extend a helping hand throughout the area. The Waterford Harley Owners Group and ABC Harley of Waterford are hailed as the number one non-corporate sponsor in Southeast Michigan for the Toys for Tots program. Rebuilding Together Oakland County was able to provide 75 homeowners with much needed repairs to their home in 2015. Walk the Line to SCI Recovery believes anything is possible, and encourages individuals to recover from spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries by challenging traditional rehab practices.

No public monies are used, and all donations are raised through employee participation.

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