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Local News

The Athletic Factory Recreational Survey Needs Community Response

The Athletic Factory, a Port Huron non-profit that assists student-athletes in preparing for college, is asking for the community to take a few minutes to complete an online survey.

The Athletic Factory’s Executive Director, Cliff Thomason, said that the organization provides summer youth recreational programs where they provide open gym runs for middle school and high school kids at the James R. Leonard Center. Thomason said that during a planning meeting, they were discussing what other activities they might want to provide this summer and the survey was created.

The Athletic Factory is working to find out what the community feels is needed for the youth in our community and to eventually fill the voids.

The survey asks what activities participants would be interested in, from sports to crafts to dance. It also asks about the need for a community center, and where it should be located, along with questions about social media use and availability for programming. The short survey takes just a few minutes to complete. A link to the survey can be found below.

The Athletic Factory Recreational Survey

Reporting for WGRT  – Jennie McClelland

June 4th River Run to Benefit VNA & Blue Water Hospice

If you have ever had an experience with hospice or home care, you know how important it is. There’s an easy and fun way to show your support for Visiting Nurse Association and Blue Water Hospice. The River Run is a 10K, 5K, 3-mile Walk, and 1-mile Fun Run that raises money to provide care for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay.

The River Run will be held on the morning of Saturday, June 4th at Marysville Park. Registration is open now, with reduced rates and a t-shirt included through May 22nd. Sponsorships are available and volunteers are needed to assist with the race. Packet pickup is June 3rd.

Angela DeLaere, president and CEO of VNA & Blue Water Hospice, said, “This is our largest annual fundraiser for VNA & Blue Water Hospice, and we rely on the support of our very generous community, and after a two-year pandemic break, we’re excited to be back.” 

For more information about supporting VNA and Blue Water Hospice with the River Run,  Sign up at www.vnabwh.org/river-run or call VNA at (810) 984-4131. 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

“Children’s Storytime” Theme of Port Huron Rotary International Day Parade July 13th

It’s time to start planning your entry if you are going to be part of the Port Huron Rotary International Day Parade. This year’s theme is “Children’s Storytime”. This is the 102nd year for the parade, which kicks off the Blue Water Festival, leading up to the Port Huron to Mackinac boat race.

Registration is now open for community organizations and businesses to get a place in line for Port Huron’s biggest community gathering.

The parade will be held on Wednesday, July 13th with a 6:30 p.m. start time. The parade route begins at Huron and Glenwood and continues south through the downtown Port Huron business district, turning east from Military Street onto Oak Street and ending at Desmond Landing.

Cash prizes up to $450 are awarded to the parade entries that best represent the theme of “Children’s Storytime”, show originality and craftsmanship, show best costuming, and show a high level of effort. There is an entry fee for parade entrants.

For more information, go to :

http://paradeday.net

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Thumb Land Conservancy Announces New Projects

The Thumb Land Conservancy has several projects underway, all made possible with volunteers and community collaboration across several counties in Michigan’s Thumb.

The Thumb Land Conservancy is constructing an informational kiosk at the Bidwell Sanctuary in northern St. Clair County. The kiosk is funded by a grant from the Bioregion Reparation Fund.

The Conservancy is also working on the Duthler Ridge Sanctuary in Lapeer County, which was acquired last year. The Sanctuary is located in Dryden Township. It is named after Surveyor Rick Duthler, who was instrumental in the property acquisition. The Duthler Ridge Sanctuary is described as located on a narrow ridge on the east edge of a huge forested valley, nearly one mile across and two miles long, with a series of lakes and wetlands at the bottom.

The Conservancy is also working to protect 40 acres in Huron County. The land is a mix of swamp and forest and its conservation will protect pollinators that are vital to the ecosystem.

Go to WGRT.com for a link to more information about the Thumb Land Conservancy and how you can help preserve the natural wonders in Michigan’s Thumb.

http://www.thumbland.org/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Meijer, Council of the Great Lakes Region Team up to Clean Beaches and Waterways

The Meijer company has donated $1 million toward cleaning up the Great Lakes. The money will be used by the Council of the Great Lakes Region to clean up beaches and waterways throughout the Midwest and to educate the public about plastics pollution.

Eighty percent of litter that washes up on beaches is plastic. The Council of the Great Lakes Region uses a solar-powered robot, called a Bebot, to clean beaches. The robots clean 32,000 square feet of beach per hour.

The Council also uses pixie drones, which navigate marinas and other waterways and can collect up to 200 pounds of litter per use while collecting important measurements of water health.

Meijer has committed to using gutter bins to prevent trash, including microplastics, from entering waterways at their retail locations.

Vik Srinivasan, Senior Vice President of Properties and Real Estate at Meijer, said, “We are lucky to live near the beautiful Great Lakes, which not only provide immense economic value to the region, but they also act as a hub for recreation, travel and biodiversity. It’s our responsibility to protect them.”

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Heather Fagan Heather Bearden Food Insecurity in St. Clair County port Huron Michigan

Addressing Food Insecurity in St. Clair County wsg. Heather Bearden & Heather Fagan

 

Have you ever had to make a choice between buying groceries or paying your electric bill? Food insecurity is a real problem for many people in St. Clair County, and today’s guests, Heather Bearden (Food Bank of Eastern Michigan) & Heather Fagan (Seed & Soul Society), share how the organizations they work with are trying to help.

In this episode we talk about:

  • What is food insecurity?
  • How can people get the help they need?
  • Are food stamps/Bridge cards enough?
  • How communities can come together to provide healthy food option
  • Food deserts and urban gardens
  • The Community Resource Fair on May 13, 2022 from 10 AM – 1 PM

Learn more about Food Bank of Eastern Michigan here:

https://www.fbem.org/

Learn more about Seed & Soul Society here:

https://s3ph.square.site/

The WGRT Local News Podcast is part of the WGRT 102.3 FM Podcast Network. For the latest episodes of all of our featured podcasts, visit our website here:

https://wgrt-1023-fm-podcast-network.captivate.fm

The WGRT Local News Podcast is produced by the following team members:

Executive Producer: Jessie Wiegand

Audio Engineer: George James

Administrator: Jessie Wiegand

Marketing: Jessie Wiegand

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