Young Professionals selling ornaments to raise funds for projects

Published 10:57 am Wednesday, November 9, 2016

People may once again purchase a special piece of Dowagiac history to display on their Christmas trees this holiday season.

Members of the Young Professionals of Greater Dowagiac are currently selling their 2016 tree ornaments to the public. The decoration, which is shaped like one of the famed Round Oak stoves seen throughout Dowagiac, is being sold for $25 per ornament, and may picked up inside either Bakeman’s Barbers or The Baker’s Rhapsody downtown or online at Facebook.com/YPDowagiac.

Sales of the ornament will go toward paying for the Young Professional’s annual July 4 fireworks show, said member and treasurer Rebecca Kellogg.

This is the second year that members have sold Dowagiac-themed ornaments to raise money for the event, with last year’s decoration featuring the school’s Chieftain mascot.

“Round Oak Stove Company is such a huge part of our community’s heritage, so it was a natural fit for us to make our next ornament,” Kellogg said. “With the help of Steve [Arseneau, Dowagiac Area History Museum director] we were able to come with a really awesome design.”

The ornaments are hand-painted and manufactured in the U.S., Kellogg said.

“The quality of the ornaments are so nice that they make a really nice collector’s items,” she said.