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Seipstown Grange 1657 continues community sharing

Published December 10. 2020 08:28AM

By ANN WERTMAN

Special to The Press

As officers and members of Seipstown Grange 1657 were looking forward to their fifth anniversary of greeting officers from their selected 18 Lehigh Valley area charities and presenting each with a check for $1,000, the COVID-19 pandemic numbers sadly began to spike.

Assigning a presentation time for each organization or even a drive-through event would unfortunately put participants at unnecessary risk. This resulted in a decision to tell everyone, ”The check is in the mail.”

Recipients were: Northwestern Lehigh School District Snack Pack program, Weisenberg Lowhill Historical Society, Dream Come True, Allentown Rescue Mission, Center for Vision Loss, Salvation Army of the Lehigh Valley, Lynn Heidelberg Historical Society, Lowhill Food Pantry, Fogelsville Volunteer Fire Company, Community Fire Company No. 1 of New Tripoli, Weisenberg Volunteer Fire Department, Lynnport Community Fire Company No. 1, Goodwill Fire Company No. 1 of Germansville, Cetronia Ambulance Corps, Northern Valley EMS Inc. (NOVA), Meals on Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley, Keystone Military Families and Northwestern Lehigh Educational Foundation.

Seipstown Grange 1657, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, fraternal organization advocating for rural America and agriculture, celebrated its 105th anniversary this year.

Funds from the sale of the Grange hall in 2015 fund this annual event and, at the same time, pay an ongoing tribute to their members, who through these many decades, volunteered and engaged in untiring fundraisers to perpetuate the Grange’s community service mission.

Also this year, Seipstown Grange members achieved 30 years of participation in PennDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway program for their 11-mile commitment to beautify Route 100 between Fogelsville and Route 309, and Claussville Road between Claussville and Seipstown.

PRESS PHOTO COURTESY LYNNPORT FIRE COMPANY Lynnport Community Fire Company No. 1 members show their $1,000 check during a recent hoagie sale. Taking part are Pat Hyer, Pauline Schnieder, Mike Schnur, Faye Billig, Rose Hamm, Becky Schafer, Diane Huber, Susan Giralco, Anne Schnur, Nancy Hartman and Donald Hyer.
PRESS PHOTO COURTESY NOVA Employees of Northern Valley EMS Inc. displaying their check include EMT David Hickey, Executive Director Kristie Wilk, EMT William Peterson, Operations Manager Tim Sullivan, Paramedic Colin Brown, EMT Jordan Biery and Paramedic Alison Ingles. Serving the community since 1966, NOVA is the primary emergency medical services provider for Heidelberg, North Whitehall and Washington townships, Slatington and Walnutport boroughs, and portions of Lowhill Township.
PRESS PHOTO COURTESY LYNN HEIDELBERG HISTORICAL SOCIETY Lynn-Heidelberg Historical Society Trustees Willard Snyder, Mary Warfel, Virginia Woodward, Gary Dotterer and Neil Oswald didn't bring their Grange check but hold their banner.
PRESS PHOTO COURTESY DREAM COME TRUE Rayann Vasko, executive director of Dream Come True, beams with the organization's $1,000 check. The money will assist with granting “Dreams” for seriously, chronically and terminally ill children.