GreatNews.Life Student Voices: La Porte celebrates service and community through fundraisers, live music, and more

What’s recently happened?

With a recent shooting in Michigan City leaving Deputy Jon Samuelson paralyzed from the waist down, the community of La Porte has come together to raise money to help in any way they can.

On Samuelson’s birthday, fellow police officer Detective Sgt. James Lear organized a run/walk to give support to the cause.

“On May 25, over 100 people came out to Clear Lake to celebrate Jon’s birthday. Jon had a birthday goal to run his birthday, 33, in miles. In total over 325 attended, either walking or running, and majority were first responders and members of the community,” Lear said.

On Thursday, June 11th, Culver’s in La Porte donated 50% of all sales for the entire day to Deputy Jon Samuelson. These local partnerships are driven by La Porte Culver’s operating partner, Bill Romstadt. Romstadt is also Deputy Samuelson’s father-in-law.

Hacienda in Michigan City will also be doing a give back to raise money on June 23, with a portion of sales helping to fund treatments.

Outside of La Porte County, t-shirts are being sold to help raise money through the ice cream store West Side Scoops. This was organized by Samuelson’s sister in law.

Currently, Sammy Strong bracelets are being sold by Austin Howell for $5 at many locations across La Porte. Howell will be selling bracelets at the annual Red Wine and Brew festival which raises money and brings awareness to first responders in the community.

The Sammy Strong fundraiser has raised over $17,000, and all of the proceeds are going to assist Samuelson and his family.

What’s coming up?

The Green Room at the Studio will be hosting weekly open mic nights every Sunday from 5-8 p.m.

The Green Room opened in October of 2025, and has been hosting live music and providing great food for the community ever since. Each night is hosted by Jim St. James, who is a touring artist based in Northwest Indiana known for his chart-topping single “Caroline.”

These open mics host more than just live folk music, there have been acts featuring harp performances, fiddle, chorus groups, and many more. The events hosted are all ages, and anyone can sign up to perform.

“There’s something special about a room full of people sharing songs, stories, poems, and laughter. That’s exactly what you’ll find every Sunday at the Variety Show Open Mic in downtown La Porte. Whether you’re stepping up to the microphone or simply enjoying the show, there’s a seat waiting for you among people who appreciate live performance,” James said.

The Green Room is more than just a venue, it also serves a variety of foods. Some of the most popular foods are their boards, flatbread pizzas, and their dips.

Sign ups open at 4:30 p.m. every Sunday, and spots fill up quickly. Music begins at 5 p.m.

Community member spotlight:

Carey Garwood, as well as most of her family, have been members of the La Porte community their entire life, with the Garwood’s orchards producing wholesale apples since the 1800s.

Garwood’s Farm, established in 1851, is now in its sixth generation of family ownership. Initially a general store and garage, it transitioned to an apple farm in the 1950s. The farm employs nearly 200 people during peak season, with many being high school students and retirees. Garwood’s supports local community events, including food drives and first responder benefits.

“We give back to a ton of community events. We give back to Red Wine and Brew, with a lot of the food and things that get done for first responders. We help some different organizations who provide food for homeless folks. We work with a group that does food for this really cool place that has rescued primates from organizations that use them at treatment facilities and testing facilities, and we send produce to them,” Garwood said.

Outside of giving back to the community, Garwood has many different endeavors throughout La Porte. Some of these include work with the local Bethany Lutheran Church, Lakeshore Paws, Garwoods Orchards, real estate management, and more. On any given day, Garwood can be seen cleaning kennels, helping out new hires at Garwood’s U-Pick, and providing for those in need. With this, Garwood hopes to create a community in La Porte that helps one another, but also that bridges the divide that is seen today.

“When we get out and we do things together, we find that we have a lot more in common than we differ. When we sit at home and we stay on our devices and we stare at the television sets and listen to the talking heads, we tend to think we don’t get along, you know, we don’t have anything in common, but when we’re out and engaging with each other more often, you see less of those problems,” Garwood said.