ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – The generosity of a few Delta County residents is making it safer than ever to enjoy Escanaba’s Municipal Beach.
Kindness Rocks Delta County has installed a life jacket loaner station outside the beach house. Swimmers of all ages can grab a life jacket, enjoy the lake, and return the jacket at no cost.
Cris Lucier, the founder of Kindness Rocks, originally got the idea from a coworker in the spring. A few months later, he became certain that safe swimming would be the next Kindness Rocks initiative during a relative’s birthday party.
“One of our family friends had shown up, but her husband wasn’t there and everybody was asking where he was,” Lucier said. “He’s part of the Search and Rescue Team for Delta County, and there was a call for a passenger who was not on the boat. At that moment, I thought, ‘Why don’t we have [life jackets] available for use?’ Even if somebody’s out there and there are no lifeguards, somebody could grab it and throw it out.”
Getting the station from an idea to a reality was a community effort. Lucier had been crafting a bar for his upcoming wedding, and he used the leftover wood to make the stand. Nyman Jewelers owner Sue Parker donated some life jackets, and other business owners and residents put money toward purchasing more jackets in a range of sizes.
“If they can save a life or we can just even have it available for people, they wanted to contribute,” said Lucier. “It’s great to see the community involvement. Everybody can do something from either recycled or leftover materials, and we can all make a difference. Just that little bit of kindness goes a long way.”
Lucier says the community response has been overwhelmingly positive. In the near future, Kindness Rocks plans to install a second life jacket loaner station in Gladstone.
Earlier this year, Kindness Rocks Delta County set up a little free sled library at Ludington Park, as well as a little free puppet theater at the Bonifas Arts Center. To keep up with Kindness Rocks and other upcoming projects, join the Kindness Rocks Delta County Facebook group.
