event

Blankets With Care Serves Those In Need in St. Clair and Macomb Counties

The Blankets With Care non-profit has been working to wrap the homeless, elderly, and veterans in warmth and love since January 2020. The organization is run by five local volunteers who want to reach out to those in need in St. Clair and Macomb counties.

The group got started in 2020 and has been busy collecting donations and taking those donations to those experiencing homelessness and to agencies that serve vulnerable people.

Blankets with Care has many volunteer opportunities including Blessing Bag packing events and direct service to the homeless with the distribution of hot meals. They also have a wish list of needed items for donations.

After several successful fundraisers with community partners in 2021, Blankets with Care is working with Coordinated Crafters Connection, LLC at the New Creative Market at the Meadows in Casco in the summer of 2022.

More information on how to get involved with helping the homeless, veterans, and the elderly with Blankets with Care can be found at the links below.

https://www.facebook.com/CreativeMarketattheMeadowsfeaturingBWC

https://www.facebook.com/BlanketswithCare

https://www.ccconnectionllc.com/blankets-with-care

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Chilly Fest Brings Family Fun to Downtown Port Huron Saturday, January 29th

Chilly Fest is back. The annual celebration of chili and being chilly will be held on Saturday, January 29th in Downtown Port Huron.

The event coincides with a weekend of Silver Stick Hockey Tournament games and the PoHo Hot Cocoa Race.

The mostly outdoors event will have a s’more station and carriage rides on McMorran Boulevard, along with a Chilly Corn Hole Tournament to be held from 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Instead of sampling chili in a crowded tent, organizers have planned a “Chili Crawl” where score cards can be purchased for $5, giving participants access to chili samples at nine downtown businesses.

There will also be a Cocoa Crawl and Penguin Hunt going on all day, along with displays of ice carvings at many downtown businesses. There will be an outdoor Kid’s Zone in the Superior Mall Parking Lot from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Chilly Fest is the result of a lot of collaboration between Downtown Port Huron, Port Huron Parks and Recreation, Blue Water Young Professionals, and corporate sponsors.

A link to the full schedule can be found below.

https://www.chillyfest.org/?fbclid=IwAR0_LZUET3LVqdFwwH2g4H0eU897a0PCIQ5nZL_B7qPUlHMykAy_dt4Pqxw

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Little Black Dress Fundraiser Goes Virtual to Raise Funds for Cancer Patients

The 16th Annual Little Black Dress fundraiser is on the calendar for Friday, March 4th at 6:00 p.m. The event will be virtual again this year, thanks to the spike in Covid cases in the region and the danger of gathering in large groups. Participants can check in on Facebook Live to be part of the annual tradition.

The Little Black Dress event raises funds for the Betty Kearns Cancer Fund to provide support for those in cancer treatment. Last year, 25 families were helped with meeting basic needs while dealing with their cancer diagnoses.

Supporters can get involved by buying raffle tickets. Some of the items on the list this year include a Gift Card Board, Lotto Ticket Board, a Paddle Board & Yeti Cooler, and the popular “Touch a Freighter” experience. There are also trips to Sedona, Arizona and Mackinac Island and catering from Vintage House, among many others.

Sponsorship opportunities for businesses and families are available. Donations of raffle items are being accepted until February 25th.

To buy raffle tickets or to find out more about the cause, go to bluewaterlittleblackdress.org.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Heart of a Hero Nominations Open

Calling all heroes…The 2022 Heart of a Hero Nominations are open and it’s your chance to recognize someone who makes a difference in the community.

The Heart of a Hero project is a fundraiser for The Arc of St. Clair County. It is sponsored by Woman’s Life Chapter 820 “Archangels”.

Heart of a Hero recognizes nominees at a banquet to be held this summer, on August 11th, at Alexander’s in Marysville. The nomination period goes from now until the end of April.

Jo Ann Wilton, President of Woman’s Life Chapter #820 said that the group is its third year of recognizing those who never get the recognition they deserve for all they do for the community.

Nominations can include those in the categories of law enforcement, military, first responders, and faith leaders, as well as anyone who makes St. Clair County a better place. It can include anyone to whom one goes for assistance including those who are retired, as well as those who volunteer.

The Arc of St. Clair County, who benefits from the fundraising banquet, advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Please email your nominations ASAP to Jo Ann Wilton at misspotter@comcast.net  or call 810-385-9040.  

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

St. Clair’s Icy Bazaar Brings Ice Carving and Entertainment January 21-23

St. Clair will be embracing the cold with the Icy Bazaar on January 21st through 23rd. The festival will be held in the St. Clair Riverview Plaza Courtyard. 

St. Clair’s Icy Bazaar will feature live ice carvings done by Kaitlin Pfropper, who has competed in World Ice Championships in Alaska and Yellowknife, Canada carving huge sculptures from giant ice blocks. This is Kaitlin’s third year at the St. Clair festival. 

The Icy Bazaar will have creative craft vendors, food and drink specials, live entertainment, and fireworks. 

The music lineup has been published with Ryan Beaudry kicking off the entertainment starting at 5:00 on Friday, January 21st, followed by Alter Ego, then Los Gringos playing until midnight. 

Saturday’s entertainment starts at 2:00 in the afternoon with Greg Hind, followed by Paul and Oates, and headlining with The Gobies playing until midnight. 

Sunday features the Meldrum Brothers playing from 2:00-5:00 p.m.

St. Clair’s Icy Bazaar is hosted by the St. Clair Chamber of Commerce. 

Reporting for WGRT -Jennie McClelland

SC4 Invites Community to Strong Inside Book Discussion

The whole community is invited to a book discussion, sponsored by the St. Clair County Community College Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The book is Strong Inside by Andrew Maraniss. Copies of the book are available for free through the SC4 Office.

The college is planning a guided book discussion with the author during the fall semester of 2022.

Strong Inside is a biography of Perry Wallace, the first African-American basketball player in the Southeastern Conference, playing for Vanderbilt University. The biography is set in the times of civil rights struggles of the 1960s.

Strong Inside won the Lillian Smith Book Award in 2015, among other accolades.

The author, Andrew Maraniss, is a contributor to ESPN and has written several other history and sports-related books.

https://sc4.edu/event/strong-inside-book-discussion/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland