Leland gal is partnering up with local parents and businesses — Kristin MacKenzie Design, Wool & Honey, Farm House Candle Co., and Nell Revel Smith — to launch a raffle with 100 percent of ticket sales to be donated to the Leland Educational Foundation (LEF).

LEF is a nonprofit supported by contributions from the community, with a mission to enhance the cultural and academic experiences of students at Leland Public School. Grants are given for things like class field trips, camps, new equipment, mentoring programs, special requests from teachers, and other student experiences and materials that the school may not have in its budget. 

Leland gal’s Maggie Mielczarek says LEF is in the midst of a fundraising drive, “and we found out there is a grandfather of some students who is willing to match up to $10,000 — if it’s raised in the month of February.”

With just a week of February to go, Leland gal and other local supporters leapt to give the effort a boost with an online raffle that starts today and ends this Friday, Feb 26.

Items donated for the raffle include a Nell Revel Smith original oil painting; a Kristin MacKenzie original watercolor; Wool & Honey yarn club membership; Farm House Candle Co. candle of the month; a Leland gal gift collection; and a Leland gal game night dinner party.

The raffle ($10 for 1 ticket; $25 for 3 tickets; $100 for 15 tickets) is live now on Leland gal’s website. Winners will be announced this Friday at 5pm.

In other local education fund news: Scholarship applications are now available online for students in Leelanau County or with Leelanau lineage through the Ed and Irene Fleis Education Fund.

Cedar native Ted Fleis, president of the Fleis Education Fund Board of Directors, announced that 65 scholarships, totaling $71,500 will be available. Students may apply for one of the $1,100 scholarships to help them achieve their higher education goals.

Applications must be post marked by April 30. Head to the education fund's website for more information on how to apply.  

The Cedar-Maple City Lions Club scholarship committee will be making the selections this year, with winners to be notified by mail or email.

The Fleis Education Fund has been offering college and trade school scholarships since 2006 and has distributed $418,000 in scholarships since its inception. The fund was started from scratch by the Fleis siblings, with $56 from a 50-50 raffle.