In 2011, Love INC's inaugural premiere fundraising event raised over $100,000 to help the needy in Livingston county. It will continue to be the esteemed social and charitable event of the year in Southeastern Michigan for years to come.

Some of the highlights from 2011 included: a 1951 Kaiser, a 1921 Rolls Royce, a 1908 Oldsmobile, a perfectly restored 1914 Harley Davison, Model Ts and Model As. There were also 37 works of art donated by celebrated Michigan artists like Heiner Hertling, Tom Hale, Mike “Chizzy” Chisholm, Charlie Shoulders, Wan Chuan Kessler, and Clark Gordon. Among the other delights from last year’s event, an auction for a safari in Africa, a $4,950 value. It included 6 days/6 nights luxury accommodations at the famous Zulu Nyala Game Preserve. The 2012 event will offer similar adventure packages to thrill our guests.

The event will again be graciously hosted by Steve and Patty Gronow, and will include a tour of the Gronow estate in Genoa Township, as well as a visit to Steve’s maritime museum. Click here for directions. Guests will enjoy music, appetizers and beverages as they stroll the pristine gardens and displays of vintage cars, boats, and motorcycles. This year’s event will also feature a silent auction, to complement the exciting live auction. Bid on items including adventure packages, fine art by local Michigan artists, and a private tour of The Lingenfelter Collection to name a few. Our auctions will be enthusiastically facilitated by our auctioneer, Mr. Steve Gross.

We are honored to feature the work of two fine automotive artists, Tom Hale and Gerald Freeman. Mr. Hale's original paintings are shown at popular automotive events such as Meadow Brook, Pebble Beach and Amelia Island. The highlight of his numerous awards (totaling over 350) is the prestigious Gold Medal of Honor which he received from the American Watercolor Society. Mr.Freeman creates majestic paintings of historical racing scenes that have been well researched and dramatically interpreted. He also puts his talents to classic cars in impressive settings. Gerald's work is collected in the US, Europe and Asia. Mr. Hale and Mr Freeman will offer a selection of their marvelous paintings for sale at the event.

Response to the Le Concours de Livingston event has been overwhelming, with individual and corporate support pouring in. It is well on its way to becoming the “can’t miss” event in Livingston County. The reason for the enthusiasm: every now and then you spot the helping hand that you want to clasp and never quit shaking. Love INC is such an organization, and you will have an opportunity to do just that on August 4, 2012.

Love INC stands for Love In the Name of Christ. We are a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to meeting basic needs like food, shelter, clothing, transportation, and money management. To accomplish this, we assist on an individual level and on community levels. While assisting the immediate needs of folks in crisis, we also seek to transform community practices that tend to grip citizens in the hand of poverty--practices that affect community development, child care, health care, and more.

Love INC is an unabashedly Christian effort to help our neighbors in accord with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Its membership is made up of volunteers from the 51 Livingston County churches of all denominations that belong to Love INC. “We have learned in these difficult times that our wonderful economy can suddenly reverse itself and put many once comfortable people in dire straits,” says Kathie Janego, executive director of Love INC. “Our job is to offer a helping hand in a time of need in a manner that does not stigmatize or demean people. Any one of us could be in that position.”

Love INC volunteers, working from the offices on Grand River in Howell, interview applicants who are seeking help from one of the member churches.  The centralizing of the process allows the churches to specialize. For example, one church may provide diapers and baby clothes, another may concentrates on furniture, while yet another may focus on food. The result has been greater efficiency in the delivery of assistance and the eternal gratitude of church secretaries who have been overwhelmed with requests for help in the economic downturn.

For further information, visit us at our Livingston branch website.

Highlights of Love INC for 2011 include:

• Helped 2,620 children
• Helped 4,735 adults
• 4,486 needs were met by Love INC partner churches (a 30% increase in one year)