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Gratiot Area
Chamber of Commerce |
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Alma Action Association
By Jeff Naessens
Alma Action Chair The
Alma Action Association volunteers have been very busy this summer. The City of Alma celebrated their 150th
birthday in July, with a week full of activities. One of the earlier events in the week was the Evening in the
Park series. David McMacken gave a historical presentation that drew nearly
150 people, even though the event was moved from the park to the Alma High
School. Other well-attended activities were the Teen Dance, Petting Zoo and
Outdoor Movie. It was
very hot and humid during the opening ceremonies but it didn’t stop the
politicians from attending to pay tribute to Alma. One of the highlights of
the opening ceremonies was the honoring of nine Alma citizens for their
contributions to the community over the years. All enjoyed the music in downtown and the
bands were thankful for the opportunity to perform. We did have a thunderstorm roll thru late in the afternoon, but
it did not dampen the spirits of anyone.
All kinds of music were performed throughout downtown and in Wright
Park. Friday night's activities were
capped off with a free concert in the park with music by The New Moonshine
Band and Family Traditions. The hospitality tent in the park was also
well attended. On Saturday there was
a full day of events to enjoy including a parade, car show, water ball
competition, timber show, craft show, art and quilt show, train ride, hot air
balloon ride, and music throughout the day in Wright Park. The highlight of the week's celebration
was the Alma Note by Note concert and the laser light show at dusk. The park was packed with people. I would
like to thank all of the volunteers who helped make this event such a
success. I would also like to thank
all of the businesses who contributed with either donations of money or
loaned us equipment and supplies. We
could not have done this without you.
If you did not get a chance to purchase souvenirs, you can still
purchase these items at Alma True Value Hardware, Zak & Jake's Superior
Perk, and City Hall. They would make
wonderful Christmas or Birthday gifts. On
August 30th and 31st, the Alma Action Association sponsors a rest area for
the DALMAC bike riders. This is a
yearly bicycle trip that can be completed in either 4 or 5 days. The riders start in Lansing and ride to
the Mackinaw Bridge for the Labor Day festivities. We supply the riders with fresh fruit, potato chips, cookies,
and water or Gatorade. The Alma rest
stop is one of the favorite ones on the whole trip. Upcoming
events in Alma include the Alma Elk's Club bringing the Moving Vietnam
Veterans Wall to Alma September 7th thru September 11th. Lucky MacDuck Day is on September 9th at
the old middle school athletic fields behind City Hall. You can purchase tickets for the duck in front
of the Main Cafe. On Thursday, September
14, the Gratiot County United Way will be holding their 9th Annual Road
Rally. For more information on the
Road Rally, please contact United Way at (989) 463-6245. Sign up as soon as possible, only 50
entries are being accepted. October
6th is Alma High School's Homecoming celebration and the following day is
Alma College's Homecoming. There will
be a parade and football game each day. We are
also starting to work on our Come Home to Alma Christmas Celebration. It will be held on Friday, December 8th
this year. We are looking for people
who would like to show off their decorated homes for our Home Tour. If you are interested or know of someone
who might be interested, please contact me at 463-4921. If you would like to be more involved in
our activities, please come and join us at out Alma Action Association
meetings. We meet on the 4th Friday
of every month at Saravilla Bed and Breakfast at 7am. |
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