We were given the honor of being the first to introduce you to a group in town who's goal is to give relief to Veterans for what they have endured and a chance for them to gather with one another and take away some of that pressure in an organized setting that assures them they are not alone. That group is called Lighthouse for Veterans and now, buildings are going up.
Everything about Lighthouse for Veterans checks all of our marks. The tragedy of a lost family member to a suicide that still claims 31.7% out of 100k Vets. The idea that in mourning there should be a way to help those who struggle with the same affliction and the action to help get the movement going and the drive to keep it going, and growing.
When we first began, there was an open field, friends and family that brought a dish to pass and the hopes that a few cars would show up. In the blink of an eye, the Heykoop Veteran Memorial Car Show went form an empty fiield to Downtown Muskegon at the Mart Dock and then to Hot Rod Harley where almost the entire campus was taken over by every kind of car you can imagine. Cars, trucks, classics and customs started coming on year one and kept on coming. So much so even the Detroit Tigers picked up on what was happening and brought Lighthouse for Veterans over for a day at Comerica Park to be their featured non profit organiazation.
Natasha Heykoop, family and friends have shown yet again what Muskegon is known best for and that is the way that we can take a hit and say "not again". It might be a costly loss to an individual or family, but the resounding support of community driven by purpose has yet to fail in my eyes and MILLIONS have been raised for the most important causes by walking in these exact footsteps.
The Heykoop Veteran Memorial Car Show is coming up this July 1st at Hot Rod Harley and if you'd like to GET INVOLVED ahead of time, click on that.
