SALINE, MI – Karen Berch drives her mother, Shirley Fowler, from Belleville to Saline every day so she can visit family.

The drive takes about 30 minutes and is usually pretty uneventful outside of the occasional traffic backup.

Monday morning was a little different. Berch saw the flashing lights of a Saline Police Department cruiser pull up behind her and she didn’t know why.

She pulled over, her anxiety level admittedly rising a little. But instead of a ticket, Berch was handed a $100 gift card by Officer Chris Boulter.

“I wondered why in the world were we getting pulled over and this is wonderful,” Berch said, laughing with her mother who sat in the passenger seat beside her. “This is really going to help mom a lot.”

Berch is one of five motorists who received $100 gift cards Dec. 16 on behalf of Saline resident Mike Gudith. Gudith won the “Heart to Serve Giveaway” and wanted to brighten the lives of other residents this holiday season with the contest’s winnings.

Gudith entered the giveaway from “Mike Staff Productions,” a company that specializes in wedding photography and DJ services, after seeing an advertisement for it and thought people might appreciate getting $100 instead of a $100 traffic ticket.

"You get that feeling when you’re getting pulled over by a police officer, you’re nervous, you’re scared, you ask yourself if you’re really getting a ticket and why,” Gudith said. “I just want to see (the motorists) smile and their faces light up. They’re shocked when handed the gift cards.”

5 Police hand out gift cards instead of tickets to motorists in Saline

Mike Staff Productions asked contest participants for stories of people and causes near and dear to their hearts so it could potentially help them with a $500 donation, Marketing Manager Lauren Wallis said. Gudith was one of four people who won the giveaway, she said.

Gudith sat and waited with Boulter along Michigan Avenue as he watched for vehicles to pull over. Boulter, who’s been working in law enforcement more than 30 years, was happy to be part of the giveaway, noting that traffic stops are generally not fun affairs.

“The people I pull over are generally not happy to be pulled over, so today I’m looking forward to them being really happy I pulled them over,” Boulter said.

Saline Area Schools bus driver Martha Reed was the first to be pulled over and handed a gift card as she was heading home from work.

“I was so confused when I saw the lights flashing behind me, but this is great,” Reed said. “This $100 will really help me out.”

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