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EDWARDSBURG — Members of the Edwardsburg Chamber of Commerce know what it means to be a proud Eddie. That is why they are raising funds to provide graduating seniors a gift to take with them, no matter where they go, to remind them of where they came from.

The Edwardsburg Chamber of Commerce is currently collecting funds to donate a personalized tumbler to each member of Edwardsburg High School’s graduating class. The tumblers, colored an Eddie orange, will be personalized with each student’s name and be etched with an Eddie figure. To fund the project, the chamber will need to raise roughly $2,800.

“This is a way to give back to seniors and let them know that not only the chamber but the community appreciates them,” said Chamber Administrator Roy Smothermon. “This is something we can give them to take with them to remember graduating from Edwardsburg and being a part of the community.”

Smothermon said he got the idea for the tumbler project from the Cassopolis/Vandalia Chamber of Commerce, which did something similar for its seniors last year. Bolt Laserworks in Cassopolis is handling the engraving.

After a year that has been marked by COVID-19 precautions and online classes, Smothermon hopes the tumblers can bring a smile to seniors’ faces.

“[Seniors] have struggled in the last year with COVID and all that and being in and out of school,” Smothermon said. “I just can’t imagine what it was like for them not to be able to see their friends and participate in the extracurriculars they have. It’s been a tough year, and we wanted to something to show that we appreciated them.”

According to Smothermon, about $1,800 of the project’s goal has already been collected. He hopes the chamber can raise the remaining funds by the end of the month.

“The community has been very supportive so far. I’ve been amazed at how much our community members and local businesses have given so far,” Smothermon said. “We aren’t asking people to give an arm and a leg. If they want to donate enough to buy one tumbler, we would appreciate that. Every little bit helps.”

Community members who would like to donate to the tumbler project can do so at edwardsburgchamber.org or by calling Smothermon at (574) 343-3721.

“We are just really excited about this project,” Smothermon said. “We are excited to work with our seniors and provide something for them.”