Monday, April 2, 2012

Light It Blue Michigan: the Mighty Mac Goes Blue for Autism Awareness


Light It Blue Michigan: the Mighty Mac Goes Blue for Autism Awareness

We haven’t had many new products in a while, so I turn back to the news for today’s content.  As I’ve said before, I tend to favor news about or out of Michigan.  Last October (I think) I wrote about London’s move to light up one of its most iconic structures in honor of breast cancer awareness month, since they used pink LEDs to do the job.  

There’s a town in Michigan in the Upper Peninsula called Mackinac (or Mack-in-AW for those who can’t pronounce it).    The Mackinac Bridge, nicknamed “Big Mac” or “Mighty Mac”, the bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous upper and lower peninsulas.  It’s the third longest total suspension bridge in the world – longer than the Golden Gate Bridge and longer than the suspended western section of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge in the U.S.  (Look it up on Wikipedia, it’s interesting).

This month, Mighty Mac will be lit with blue lights at night in honor of autism awareness and the state’s Light It Blue Michigan autism campaign.  It’s the first cause the bridge has supported (no pun intended).  Ok, it’s not the bridge that took up the cause as much as students at Madonna University (Livonia, MI) and the non-profit group Corner Pieces.  Madonna students designed the marketing plan and helped raise the $7,500 it took to pay the cost of changing the light bulbs along the five-mile bridge.  In tandem, they secured participation in the Light It Blue Michigan campaign in partnership with the GM Renaissance Center, Motor City Casino, the DTE Energy Building and Madonna University.

There was a lighting ceremony April 2 with Michigan Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley.  Mr. Calley’s 4-year-old daughter has autism and he has been an very outspoken advocate of expanding the state’s healthcare coverage for children affected by the disability.

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20120401/NEWS15/204010428

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