Vassar is located west of Mayville, north-west of
Millington, north-east of Frankenmuth, south-west of Caro, and south-east of Richville – all of which are small towns. If you want to talk about the “big towns,” Vassar is north-west of Lapeer, north-west of the capital (Lansing), east of Saginaw, and south-west of
Bay City. Its ethnic population is 50% white, 49% black, and 1% Hispanic. The general population is somewhere around two thousand and the religion is 100% Christian.
All major holidays are celebrated by almost everyone every year. In the summer, Vassar has a community-wide petunia planting week set aside for anyone who volunteers to help plant petunias. In the fall, in October, we have an annual Pumpkin Roll in which volunteers pick a pumpkin to roll down
Huron Street
(which is also called
Main Street
). Yes, the street is closed for this event. Also in the fall, there is an event that takes place where all the churches in the area participate in a two mile walk. The event is called a CROP Walk in which volunteers walk two miles to raise money for people in
Africa who have to walk at least two miles for food, kindling, and water. “We walk because they walk” is the official slogan and theme of the event.
I, personally, have walked in this event last year. Everyone gathers at “home base” – a church that is chosen to host the event – to register. We hear a speech from one of the local pastors, and we pray before we leave. Then, we follow a two-mile route that is marked out on a map for us and the path is marked with signs directing us which way to go. You walk with your church and take it at your own pace. No, it’s not a race or a competition and there are no awards given out. Half-way through, there is a rest stop at a little chapel where you can use the facilities or eat and drink some of the best cider, apples, and doughnuts from Parker’s Orchard in
Millington. Then, you walk the rest of the way back to home base where you are awarded with more food and non-alcoholic beverages. When I walked it, the weather was fine – warm and sunny; you didn’t need to wear a coat or sweater then – until half-way through which is where it became windy, rainy, and stormy. One thing I forgot to mention, there will be a van following your group that you can ride if you become too tired to walk anymore.
It’s a small town consisting of six or seven churches, four restaurants, one grocery store, two dollar stores, one craft store, two pavilions and three small parks, one family-owned jewelry store, two tax services, two insurance offices, one ice-cream shop, three or four schools, one car dealer, one bank, two or three credit unions, two funeral homes, and three gas stations. It is also a small town where everyone knows everyone else and it is where everyone is related to someone else who lives – in some cases – right next door or down the street.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
