A custom, handcrafted kayak is being offered up as the piece in a fundraiser for The Friends of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse. According to David Brooks, president of the group, the boat is fashioned from wood, and was made by Allen Deming of Mackinaw Watercraft LLC in Grand Ledge. The group commissioned the kayak and funds raised will go toward restoration at the park.” The friends group volunteers and raises money for the Fort Gratiot Light Station County Park, located at 2800 Omar St., Port Huron. One of Deming’s canoe, which was received into competition at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, featured wood inlays of lighthouses along Lake Michigan, and it was from that piece that the group decided to commission a kayak. The single-person kayak has a retail value of $5,150. It weighs 28 pounds and is 14 feet long. Tickets are $20 and 500 will be sold. The drawing will be July 14 during Bluewater SandFest. To purchase tickets or for more information, cal (810) 385-4951 or go to https://www.facebook.com/St-Clair-County-Parks-and-Recreation-Commission-114026198441/. The ayak will be on display in the upstairs Chase Gallery at Studio 1219 located at 1219 Military Street in Port Huron from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 22 and noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 23.
