Friends of Ludington State Park receive $13,000 donation from beer festival.

Friends of Ludington State Park receive $13,000 donation from beer festival. 

HAMLIN TOWNSHIP — The Ludington Area Convention and Visitors Bureau presented a check for $13,322.10 to the Friends of the Ludington State Park Tuesday. The money was raised during the third annual BrrrewFest that was held in January. The beer festival had 775 attendees this year.

The Friends of the Ludington State Park organization helps to provide volunteers and funding for special projects at the state park including:

• Summer music concerts and family-friendly educational programs.
• Trail signage and other park displays.
• Snowshoes for park visitors to borrow for free during ranger-led hikes throughout the winter season, plus snowshoe kits for classes.
• A handicap-accessible beach walkway at Lake Michigan plus beach wheelchairs
• A cross country ski trail groomer and track setter
• Trees to replace those destroyed by invasive species
• Reconstruction/repairs to a few of the CCC-era trail warming shelters
• Renovation of the park’s warming shelter.

The Friends also volunteer at the park including:

• Staffing lantern-lit snowshoeing events and ski hikes in winter.
• Trail clean-up and maintenance.
• Removal of invasive plant species.
• Participation in Adopt a Highway litter pickup along M-116.