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Local News

National Day of Prayer Service May 5th

Operation Transformation and Blue Water Area Churches are holding their annual National Day of Prayer Service on May 5th. The service starts at noon in the north McMorran parking lot.

The National Day of Prayer was established through a joint resolution of the United States Congress and President Harry S. Truman in 1952 to encourage Americans to exercise their rights to freedom of speech and religious expression.

Operation Transformation and Blue Water Area Churches sponsor this local event annually to gather the community for corporate prayer. This year’s service will be a drive-in event with people parking in the north McMorran lot on Bard Street in Port Huron. Audio for the service will be available by tuning into 90.7 Hope FM.

The theme for this year’s National Day of Prayer service is Exalt the Lord.

For more information, visit the events page <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

Lexington Music in the Park Arts Council

Musicians Lined up for Lexington Music in the Park

The Lexington Arts Council just released its lineup for Music in the Park 2022. Concerts take place at Patrick Tierney Park at Lexington Harbor on mostly Friday nights starting June 24th, and all shows begin at 7:30 PM.

The season kicks off with Katmandu, a Bob Seger Tribute Band, on June 24th, and runs through August 19th with Detroit Arena Rock. Due to the Lexington Independence Day celebration on Friday, July 1st, there will be one Saturday concert on July 2nd featuring The Gobies.

The Lexington Arts Council chose a variety of musical styles for the series including rock & roll, R&B, latin jazz, and classical strings. They encourage visitors to bring lawn chairs and blankets to see the shows and enjoy the many restaurants and attractions in downtown Lexington. A shuttle service to and from Tierney Park is available from 6:30 – 10:30 PM from various church parking lots.

Learn more here: https://lexington-arts.org/music-in-the-park/

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

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

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