First Annual “Reel Fun” Northland Challenge

On Saturday at Duck Park, the community saw the inception of the First Annual “Reel Fun” Northland Challenge. Jack Eling, the Executive Vice President of Northland details what lead up to them creating the Northland Challenge event.

Jack said, “With our home base being in Oscoda, we’re familiar with what great work is being done with the Oscoda, Au Sable and Grayling canoe race. Well we also wanted to do something like that when we moved our headquarters in Alpena because the Thunder Bay Watershed is such a great resource for family, for friends but also for our ecological system.” Jack added, “It just made sense to go ahead and try move down that path. We tried to put it together for a few years and this year it all came together and we got a great sunny day. So, with this and the carnival, it should be a good family event.”

Northland got off to a great start today and Jack is really optimistic the Northland Challenge can be an annual event that grows is size year after year. However, this year there was real emphasis on promoting clean water, Jack explains why, “Starting next week were going to start doing some marketing about the clean water that we have and that we enjoy and partnering with the Thunder Bay Watershed group is actually such an important part of that.” He continues, “I think the key is that clean water is such an important thing to all of us and to our grandchildren and children coming up. It’s a great attractional thing we have to be so careful with how we manage that resource because we want that resource to be available for everyone to enjoy. Also, just to keep ecological system in balance, without clean water it goes downhill quickly.”

Water is a crucial resource for not only us but also for our environment as well. That’s why all the proceeds gained by the Northland Challenge Carnival event will go towards local non–profits to continue ensuring our natural resources are being protected.