On Mackinac Island, The Season for Giving is All Year Long!

We had a great New Year’s celebration at the Lilac Tree Suites & Spa. Thanks to all of our guests who celebrated the Holidays with us and brought in the New Year on Mackinac Island. Believe it or not, it’s not too early to book your sweet suite for next New Year as many guests have booked already so give us a call at 866-847-6575. Now, everyone is getting pumped for the 41^st Annual Mackinac Island Winter Festival. The Winter Festival serves as a fundraiser for Mackinac Island Recreational Development (MIRD). They raise money through the sale of the Season of Mackinac calendar and this annual winter festival to support the recreational needs of Mackinac Island. Their focus is on providing the equipment for recreation including continual upgrading of Turtle Park. Here’s the schedule;

Saturday Feb 4^th from noon – 3:00 pm- events will be held outside at Great Turtle Park
Sunday Feb 5^th from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm- activities will be held at the Mackinac Island Public

School. Brunch starts at 10 am, and other events, such as Calendar Photo Contest, Raffle, Silent Auction, Archery, Poker Run, Bingo, and Kids Activities, throughout the day.

It’s wonderful that the Mackinac Island Community has a generous spirit of giving. True to the spirit of community on Mackinac, is another great organization, The Mackinac Island Community Foundation (MICF). Their goals offer people the opportunity to give back to improve Mackinac Island. The funds they generate give back in big ways for many important projects and organizations which include; Arts and Culture, Medical and Health, Conservation and Preservation, Environment, and Scholarships.

Traditionally, from Thanksgiving through Christmas and the Holidays is the “Season for Giving.” But with so many important needs for Mackinac Island residents and visitors, the need for people to give is year round. By giving, you can be directly involved in preserving and protecting it forever. By giving directly to The Mackinac Island Community Foundation, you have peace of mind knowing where your gift is going, and how it will help one or multiple projects and organizations on Mackinac Island. Plus, the gift you give today will keep on giving for years to come which is highlighted on their website which states; “Making a Difference. For Good. For Ever.” And every year, they make grants to local agencies and programs that serves Mackinac Island’s ever-changing population.

Here’s a great example. Winters are beautiful and cold on Mackinac Island and I’m sure you’ve heard of Meals on Wheels. In a Mackinac Winter, there’s a huge undertaking to get meals to our Island’s senior population and to families in need so The Mackinac Island Community Foundation has their own spin called “Meals on Snowmobiles.” With no driven wheels allowed on Mackinac to deliver meals, from January through March or April, they deliver 30- 40 meals, two times a week. That’s 60-80 meals delivered every week and all by Snowmobile! And we’re proud to say that the meals are prepared by John Cadotte, the Sous Chef at the Pink Pony.

Mackinac Island is a special, magical place and part of the unique fiber of what makes it special is the people. People who enjoy being on the Island whether they live here or visit and everyone is considered to be family. That is what true community is all about. Many times, when we give gifts, we wonder if our gift is appreciated or will it be forgotten over time. I guarantee you, when you give to the Mackinac Island Community Foundation, it will live on for a very long time. For 2017, give the gift that gives the whole year by giving to The Mackinac Island Community Foundation. You can check out their website at http://www.micf.org/index.html and look at all of the unique areas that your gifts can help. Your gift will make a difference.

We’re all family on Mackinac Island and as a living testimony for your love of Mackinac Island and to our wonderful community please contact them through their website or call Stephanie McGreevy, MICF Executive Director at 906- 847- 3701 and discover how you can give back to help others in need. By giving, you’ll demonstrate what true community is all about because the season for giving is all year long.

George Piliouras for The Lilac Tree Suites & Spa