Let's get outside for a while!!  Kruse Park is the location for the next few weeks as we take Fit and Healthy with Becky on the road for a stretch in the Summer. 

Don't think it's going to be a "walk in the park".  Becky is scheming and planning on finding new ways to get you to activate muscles you never imagined you'd be using.  Today, it's the stairs!  We are right at the edge of the beach and she's going to start you off by some stair climbing then it's on to some other stair-master type things until she finally let's you off the hook!  Put in your time....sweat it out and know that next week will be a little bit of a re-focus on things!

As always, consult a doctor before you start this or any other work out program.  Plenty of water...warm up....stretch out...and get ready for episode 58 of Fit and Healthy With Becky on The Muskegon Channel.

Whew!!  How's that for a workout on the steps!  Nice scenery too huh?  We sure live in a beautiful place.  Hey, staying fit and healthy doesn't always mean that you have to be sweating it out.  There is plenty to do to stay fit and healthy too by participating in things like the race Becky is organizing!  Get the details below on the Arts and Dash race coming up in Norton Shores!  

   July 7th, 2018 marked the 4th annual Standup For The Cure Muskegon that took place at the Harbor Towne Beach via Muskegon Lake in Muskegon, Michigan. Since 2012, Standup for the Cure has been providing free breast cancer screenings while uniting paddlers, fitness enthusiasts, yoga practitioners, medical professionals and the breast cancer community from California to Florida and Michigan to Washington in an effort to save lives. This year's Muskegon Edition, a festival style event, includes instructor-led paddle board demos and clinics, mobile mammography from Betty Ford breast care services, information from leading regional health care providers, live music, happy hour and lunch. All proceeds from the Muskegon event benefited Susan G Komen Michigan, every $125 raised will cover the cost of mammogram for someone in-need. Upwards of 700 people packed the beach and water from all over the state including Steven Gawron, Mayor of Muskegon and our very own Justin Abdelkader with the Detroit Red Wings. Hundreds of paddle boarders set sail by 10am resulting in a sea (lake) of pink, check out these videos we made for the events.

 The Event At A Glance

Interview with Dan Vandyk - Director of Standup For The Cure

Interview with Dr. LeRoux and Dr. Wright of Spectrum Health Cancer Center

Interview with Tanya Horan on Breast Cancer

Derek Wong 2018 / The MuskegonChannel

It's a remarkable thing to see a group of bikers come together for a cause.  Quite often, they come together for a cause you'd least expect too.  Here in Muskegon, we're used to seeing bikers doing remarkable things.  Benefiting cancer centers, making sure kids have toys at Christmas, food banks are filled and more.  The big, rough and tumble, leather clad bikers are truly good hearted people who want to make a difference in the lives of others and use their collective power to make a statement while helping out some of the more needful areas where things are sometimes forgotten.  Visit the Patriot Ride Event on Facebook

Every Woman's Place of Muskegon is a center that provides shelter, crisis intervention, counseling, support groups, children's services and education and prevention when it comes to domestic violence.  Founded in 1975 and growing ever since Every Woman's place has come to be a safe haven for those who are most vulnerable in Muskegon, Newaygo and Oceana Counties.  They offer the services mentioned and so much more.  Their work is endless, and they are at the ready anytime domestic violence or sexual assault occurs with caring and kind people who begin to help the healing process and do what they can to stop the cycle.  They rely on community to help fund the work and this is where you come in if you are one of those bikers we were talking about in the previous paragraph!

The Patriot Ride kicks off from Muskegon's Bike Time Event Sunday July 22nd at 10am.  It's an escorted, non stop ride where you'll get to enjoy the beautiful scenery of West Michigan with a couple hundred of your closest biker friends.  The registration begins at 10, the ride rolls off at 11 and you're back to Biketime at 12n to enjoy the rest of the days events knowing you've done a good turn for someone who you'll probably never meet, and realistically, you don't need to meet.  You helped a fellow human who needed you in their most desperate hour with your suggested donation of $10 for the great ride. 

I was able to catch up with Lori Rasmussen of Every Woman's Place to talk a little about the work that goes on as well as the fun of the ride to help benefit their work, take a listen.

The hope is domestic violence has never touched your life.  The reality is, it probably has and you might not even know it.  It's a control issue.  It's a dominance issue it's a matter of who's powerful and how they prove it and it's got to come to a stop.  We could go on to give you statistics upon statistics, but instead we'll recommend action.  Get out and be a part of the Patriot Ride July 22nd at Muskegon Bike Time.  Even if you are not a rider, it's a great chance to stop by and throw a small donation toward Every Woman's Place to help them in their crusade to help treat the victims of domestic violence and prevent it from happening again.  If you'd like to know more about the agency, you can click on the logo below to visit their website.

We introduced you to Natasha Heykoop last year on Positively Muskegon.  She lost her brother to suicide on Thanksgiving Day in 2015.  He had served in the military and the battle never left his mind.  It's a story that's sadly all too familiar and all too often not spoken of because of the stigma attached to it.  In 2012 the VA issued a report on veteran suicides that said between 18 and 22 veterans commit suicide daily and that sparked a lot of different awareness efforts all based on the number 22.  But for Natasha, things hit a little closer to home and she saw a much greater need, more over she wanted to do something locally. Follow Lighthouse for Veterans on Facebook

2017 saw the beginning for the Heykoop Veteran Memorial Car Show and Benefit.  It was a first year event, being held on a day when nothing was ever really tried on a piece of land that was never really thought of as a "hot spot" for events and it turned out to be a pretty big success.  For a first year event to raise nearly $5000 to help any cause, let alone one that's considered "taboo" like veteran suicide is a pretty clear message that a hole needed to be filled and the time for awareness and action is here and now and people are ready for more than words on the subject.

Cars came, bands played, vets were honored and gears were turning.  How could the event grow?  What could be improved?  What could be added to bring in a few more and how could the funds raised be utilized locally?  Well, after the first event Natasha and her team went full on and formed their own non profit to work locally to benefit our local veteran community.  Once the paperwork got out of the way, Lighthouse for Veterans got to work on this years car show to continue their work to help with things like awareness for those not directly effected by life with a veteran, peer retreats for those who do live with the issues that veterans face and even funeral expenses for veterans families.  Anything to help offer a little respite for those who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice or those who love them.

This year, cars will come once again to the corner of Getty and Airline, bands will play, vets will be honored, motorcycles will be added people will stroll and we'll see yet another incredible event built just like Muskegon does it.  We are incredibly blessed in our neck of the woods to be able to take a tragedy and turn it into a lasting and powerful triumph to make sure that no one faces this kind of nightmare again. 

I met up with Natasha to talk about year two for the Heykoop Veteran Memorial Car Show and Benefit, take a listen.

 What makes a hero?  You just saw.  The incredible grief that one family has to endure is turned into hope for others to never have to deal with the same.  It's become a community gathering to remember, reflect and hopefully help with the fight when it comes to the struggles faced by those who are still fighting a battle in their mind.  Got a show car?  Get out the Turtle Wax.  Want a destination for the biker group?  July 7th right by Babbitt's.  Be a part of this incredible endeavor and help Lighthouse for Veterans grow as only Muskegon and the Lakeshore can.  This is how we do it!  This is what sets our community a part and these are the seedlings of lasting and important events that take subjects out of the shadows and begin to truly heal, both individuals and communities.  To learn more, click on the photo below and visit the Lighthouse for Veterans website.

This Summer we're working with our sponsor Shoreline Recycling to show you the benefits form more than just one angle about just how beneficial recycling is for not only the community, but for your bottom line as well.  We were given full access and a guided tour through the entire facility to show you just what goes into the operation and how they work to not only keep Muskegon clean but take our precious resources and reuse them.  Believe it or not, we have a finite supply of things like metal on this planet.  We also have a duty to protect our big blue marble from the mounds and mounds of garbage we generate and if something can be recycled and reused why wouldn't you wan to take Shoreline Recycling up on their offer to PAY YOU for your stuff?  The landfill is one thing but...your junk is cash as Shoreline Recycling and we're showing you how to earn it this summer.  Visit Shoreline Recycling on Facebook

Today, Kurt Alderink is taking us out into the yard to talk about recycling things from around your home.  Washer or dryer give up?  Couple of dead computers sitting there?  Is your garage fridge about to die?  Maybe you've got something around the house like an old water heater or parts from cars you worked on etc.  Hey...all of that stuff is money in the bank.  There is hidden value in all of that stuff and there are those too who can actually get out and make a living by picking up these kind of things in bulk to bring down a few loads a day to Shoreline Recycling to take the money and run.  That line of work might not be for everyone, but, everyone does have stuff they need to get rid of so instead of just taking it to the dump...bring it to Shoreline Recycling on Ottawa Street in Muskegon and let them throw you a few bucks for doing the right thing.

Kurt and I are out by the appliance pile and talking about the process and pay off... take a listen.

Shoreline Recycling is not just a scrap yard.  I'll tell ya.  They are a customer service company first and foremost.  They take amazing care of their customers if they are occasional visitors or there daily.  There are special customer days, they do give away's for their clients and they even have specialists who can help your business if you generate a lot of scrap.  Think about that if you run a car repair shop or an industrial production outfit.  Get paid for your waste!!  Shoreline Recycling makes it happen.  They are great stewards of community and their work protects generations in the future by taking what was an making it new again.  Our thanks to Shoreline Recycling for their sponsorship of The Muskegon Channel and Positively Muskegon.  To learn more, click on their logo below to visit their website.

Happy Monday!!  It's time for Fit and Healthy with Becky from The Gym in North Muskegon!!  Suns out guns out is the theme this week and it's an episode designed to get your arms and shoulders toned up and less flabby!  

You'll find a little resistance is key and that repetition is your friend.  This one is actually pretty easy.....so let's just jump right on in to episode 55 of Fit and Healthy With Becky on The Muskegon Channel.

Of course, you warmed up...stretched out and consulted your doctor first right?  Great job!  Now, come back later today, tomorrow and all days after and work those wings!!  Becky is a certified personal trainer and is available for one on one training or in a group setting if you like.  Stop in to The Gym on the "Four Corners" in North Muskegon to see the facilities and learn a little more!   

We're in full swing Summer mode in Muskegon now, that means that Hackley Park finds itself more busy than not and that's a great thing.  From food festivals to Party in the Park and events that combine a little of everything, Downtown Muskegon's continual growth and engagement continues to grow.  Coming hot off the heels of Taste of Muskegon, we're pretty sure everyone knows the way to Downtown,  so let's get the park sun around and ready for another great day of entertainment, fun and togetherness with a little twist focusing on some area business you might not even know about. Follow the West Michigan Business and Craft Fair on Facebook

We've got a pretty good thing going with our small business incubator places in town, they continue to give opportunities to those who have an idea but need a spot to get it kicked off.  There are the chalets on Western.  If you are a chef...you've got Kitchen 242 to use to help you grow.  The Farmers Market not only provides a place for agriculture, but it's also a spot for flea market type events and outdoor fun.  Where do you find out about the home based business?  The jewelers....the artists....the makes of pet treats, kids clothes, urban art area non profits who are looking for some awareness and more?  Well you head to the West Michigan Small Business and Craft Fair.

We first met Tony and Vanessa Davis last year. They are the organizers of this great event.  Vanessa had a family emergency, so we were unable to tape a segment with the couple, but with any growing event we try to cover what we can to help people grow and help them help others.  The festival will run from 9a-3:30p at Hackley Park.  It's family friendly.  There will be plenty of food and drink  with everything from ribs to tacos, shaved ice to soul food, baked goods smoothies and more.  Entertainment will abound with music, dancing and more.  There will be 60 or more booths to see and plenty of opportunities for you to register to win cool stuff from the supporting sponsors and vendors!  The newly crowned Ms. Shoreline is even expected to be on hand to meet and greet visitors.  There is also an incredible twist this year, a portion of all the booth registration fees will go to support Kids Food Basket in Muskegon.  That will make everyone feel good.

It's an effort to help support small business here in town.  It's an effort to spend some time together in a relaxed setting where you can stroll and enjoy the goings on and maybe get an idea or two for yourself.  Hey...you never know what's around the next corner.  It could be you next year in the West Michigan Business and craft Fair showing off your awesome creations.  Stop down and be a part of this fun event and help some of our area small business entrepreneurs grow!!  You can click on the photo below to visit their official website.