June, 2019 – Paws With A Cause, an organization that trains assistance dogs and places them with the disabled, is celebrating their 40th Anniversary this year! According to the website, “Paws With A Cause^® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs.”

Paws With A Cause is headquartered in Wayland, Michigan. The organization was founded in 1979, and was originally named Ears for the Deaf^® until 1989. The founders, Michael Sapp and his wife Antoinette, created the organization to help train their friend’s dog -their friends were deaf and had just adopted a deaf baby – in hopes that the dog could alert the couple to various sounds like their baby crying. As time went on, more and more deaf and disabled people began asking for trained dogs to help them with their daily life, too.

Paws With A Cause now trains 4 different types of assistance dogs:

• Service Dogs for people with physical disabilities
• Hearing Dogs for people who are Hearing Impaired/Deaf
• Seizure Response Dogs for people with seizure disorders
• Service Dogs for Children with Autism

Over the last 40 years, Paws With A Cause has trained over 2,500 assistance dogs. The organization has also helped work with the Michigan Legislature to ensure laws are in place that benefit Service Dogs and other assistance dogs.

Paws With A Cause created this 40th Anniversary Video to showcase just some of the incredible work the organization has done in the community over the last 40 years.

In addition, Paws With A Cause held a 40th Anniversary Open House at their headquarters in Wayland, MI. The event showcased its new grooming facilities and included guided tours of the facility, assistance dog demonstrations, and plenty of food and fun.

We’d like to congratulate Paws With A Cause on 40 years of changing lives and assisting the community. If you’d like to get involved please see how you can help!

Grand Rapids based minor league baseball team, the West Michigan Whitecaps, are celebrating 25 seasons of baseball this year. The team was founded in 1993, and was named by Brian Glass in a “Name the Team” contest. This same year, Old Kent Park ballpark and stadium was constructed. The Whitecaps’ inaugural season was in 1994, with their first home game at Old Kent Park held in April against the Burlington Bees. The Whitecaps won, with a score of 5-2.

Since then, the team has seen many changes and accomplishments, including:

• 13 Managers, including former major league player & manager and 2000 Olympic baseball coach Phil Regan, Former Detroit Tigers third baseman Tom Brookens, former Tigers and major league manager Larry Parrish, and former Tigers catcher Lance Parrish (current team manager).
• Six MWL Championship wins
• Renaming of the team’s home field, from Old Kent Park to Fifth Third Ballpark.

This year mark’s The Whitecaps’ 25th Season. Some of the planned celebrations include:

• 25th season logo
• 25th Season commemorative t-shirts, sweatshirts, and lapel pins available for purchase in the “Capsized Shop.”
• A 2018 Ticket kickoff sale featuring a free 25th season t-shirt for the first 50 ticket purchasers, as well as a bounce house, speed pitch game, the Whitecaps Mascots, and free popcorn, cocoa, and Dippin’ Dots.
• A 25th Season Replica Jersey giveaway for the first 1,000 guests at the Whitecaps’ opening day on April 5th.

More celebrations are expected to be announced in the coming months. Congratulations to the West Michigan Whitecaps on 25 Seasons of Minor League Baseball!

The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1893 by Charles Hackley. Previously known as the Muskegon Board of Trade (est. 1979), Hackley and other pertinent members of Muskegon’s lumber industry worked to create an organization that would support economic development and revitalize Muskegon, Michigan.

Since then, the chamber has continued that mission. Major efforts have included establishing the Muskegon County Airport, raising funds to construct the L.C. Walker Arena, and promoting the Milwaukee Clipper ferry.

Additionally, the Muskegon Chamber of Commerce has been recognized for numerous achievements, including the “Freedom Week” program in 1953, and being commended by the US Chamber of Commerce for having one of the country’s top safety programs in 1957.

The MLCC is celebrating its 125th year by highlighting historic moments in its history each month using “Hist-O-Gram Stories,” a cute play on Instagram Stories. You can learn more about the MLCC’s history and 125th anniversary celebration at www.muskegon.org.

Congratulations on 125 exciting years, and we wish you an even brighter future!

They say that from death comes life. If bringing joy and enrichment to millions of children and adults is any indication of life, then this old saying rings true as the John Ball Zoo celebrates it’s 125th Birthday.

John Ball’s Land Willed for Public Use

In 1884, Grand Rapids native John Ball died, and left in his will a 40 acre plot of land – not to family – but to the City of Grand Rapids for public use. In its infancy, the plot was used as a public park. Around 1891, the land slowly began acquiring animals. First, just a few birds in cages and native animals like squirrels, raccoons, and rabbits. Over the years, deer, bear, peacocks and other more spectacular animals of the time were introduced to the park.

Ups and Downs During the Depression

The zoo saw additional growth in its animal population from 1902 to 1925, and a pavilion and statue were constructed in dedication to John Ball also during that time. When the Great Depression hit, many animals were forced to be moved due to inability to meet the cost of food and care for the animals. Records show many purchases and sales of animals as the Depression continued, as well as DNR boarding of animals at the zoo during this time.

Zoo Grows to 140 Acre Park, 1000+ Animals

As WWII ended, Grand Rapids residents became frustrated with the lack of funding for the zoo, and made their voices heard that they wanted to rebuild the zoo. From the 1950’s on, the John Ball Zoo received funding from many of Grand Rapids’ prominent residents, and grew over the decades to become what is now a 140 acre park that is home to 237 species and over 1,000 animals.

125th Birthday Celebration

This year, the John Ball Zoo celebrated 125 Years with many festivities. Most notable was the ‘125 Days of Animal Birthdays’ event. Each day for 125 days, an animal was honored with a Birthday sponsored by local businesses and individuals. On the day my daughter and I attended the Zoo, we celebrated the Birthday animal of honor: the Tiger Shark. I thought it was a fun way to put the spotlight on each of the animals, and also use a memorable event like a Birthday to show kids that animals are living, breathing things just like them.

Other 125th Birthday celebration events for John Ball Zoo included:

• RendeZoo 2016 – Let Them Eat Cake – This annual event is the largest fundraising source for the Zoo each year. This year’s event highlighted the zoo’s Birthday theme with cupcakes, party hats, live music, and more.
• Public Celebration Week – In addition to animal birthdays, special Birthday treats were served to park guests throughout the week, along with giveaways and special entertainment.
• Members Night – Pass-holding Zoo members were able to party at the zoo, which included photos with the John Ball Zoo statue, animal training demonstrations, and frosted Birthday cookies.

The Zoo’s 125th anniversary was topped off with the final event of the season, the annual ‘Zoo Goes Boo!’ with trick-or-treating, decorations, and other Halloween Fun. Congratulations to the John Ball Zoo on 125 years of bringing the love of animals to so many!

Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a world renowned horticulture and sculpture park located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The original concept of the park was created by the West Michigan Horticulture Society. However, the society needed financial backing to make the dream become a reality. Fred and Lena Meijer embraced the idea, and after 13 years of planning, the Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park opened to the public in 1995. Today, Meijer Gardens hosts more than 600,000 visitors annually, and has been ranked in the top 100 most-visited art museums worldwide by the Art Newspaper.

Throughout the years, Frederick Meijer Gardens has grown exponentially to include the following areas:
• Sculpture Park
• Featured Art Exhibitions
• Horticulture Gardens
o Carnivorous Plants
o Arid Garden
o Woodland Shade Garden
o Perennial and Bulb Garden
• Tropical Conservatory
• Japanese Garden
• Children’s Garden
• Michigan Farm Garden
• Butterflies Are Blooming
• Amphitheater
• Holiday Exhibitions

The Sculpture Park contains more than 50 sculptures from artists worldwide, and is one of the largest collections of outdoor sculptures in the nation. Follow the pathways along the manicured lawns, grassy meadows, and tranquil ponds while viewing the sculptures. The current featured art exhibition showcases five large-scale steel sculptures by Bernar Venet, and can be viewed through October.

The Horticulture Gardens feature plants from around the world and represent various regions and climates such as arid deserts, woodlands, and tropical rain forests. Plants are selected for year-round interest and each garden is unique, educational, and a natural work of art. The Tropical Conservatory also features the Butterflies Are Blooming Exhibit each spring from March 1 to April 30. It features tropical butterflies from around the world. There are 7000 butterflies and 50 species throughout the exhibition. It’s the largest temporary butterfly exhibit in the nation.

The Childrens Garden is both fun and educational. It encourages interaction and invites children to learn and explore. There are numerous activities including digging for fossils in the Rock Quarry, climbing around in the Treehouse Village, listening to a story or watching a puppet show in the Storytelling Garden, navigating and solving the Butterfly Maze, and more. There’s plenty of family friendly fun for everyone.

Newly opened this summer is the Japanese Gardens. These beautiful gardens were crafted to capture the essence of a traditional Japanese garden, and were designed with tranquility in mind. The gardens feature an authentic Japanese teahouse, a Zen garden, ponds and waterfalls, sculptures, a bonsai tree display, and beautiful plants such as bamboo, Japanese maples, and Japanese flowering cherry trees.

In addition to gardens and sculptures, Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park features an outdoor amphitheater and hosts a summer concert series featuring both local and world renowned musicians and bands.

In celebration of their 20th anniversary, Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park has a calendar of spectacular events planned throughout the year. They also held a special 20th anniversary concert featuring 17-time Grammy Award winner Tony Bennett.

The Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is always growing and always changing. Whether it be with new plants and flowers in bloom, the addition of art or displays, annual displays such as Art Prize, Butterflies are Blooming, or Christmas Traditions Around the World, there is always something new and exciting to experience. For more information, please visit their website at www.meijergardens.org.

Please join us in congratulating Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park on their 20th anniversary!