HTM students, professionals clean up Leelanau State Park

About 30 students, majoring in hospitality and tourism management, joined nearly 300 industry professionals to clean up and restore Leelanau State Park and the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum.

The effort was part of Michigan Cares for Tourism (MC4T), an organization chartered by Grand Valley's Hospitality and Tourism Management Department along with the Michigan DNR, Travel Michigan, Tourism Cares, DRIVEN and Indian Trails. 

The students, along with six GVSU faculty members, traveled up north and spent September 16 and 17 tackling two dozen projects across the 1,300-acre state park.

Patty Janes, professor of hospitality and tourism management and MC4T coordinator, said the group completed 24 improvement projects that required sanding, staining, painting and repairing.

The group restored picnic tables, painted the lighthouse, cleared trails and even did brick work. The group also installed a new playground.

"Every visitor to Leelanau State Park and the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum will now have a better experience," said Janes. "And, MC4T allows us to work across disciplines so students and industry professionals can better connect to Michigan's historic destinations and to each other."

Michigan Cares for Tourism is a 100 percent volunteer, 100 percent give back organization with all proceeds solely designed to contribute to the cleanup of Michigan’s historic attractions.

Click here for a Traverse City Tourism video featuring Janes. 

For more information, visit gvsu.edu/michigancaresfortourism.