PirateFest donates $3,000 to water quality charities

BOYNE CITY — The Boyne City PirateFest is a 501c3 non-profit that celebrates the Michigan Lakes and all they have to offer, committed to furthering education and protection of our natural resources.

In keeping with its mission statement, the PirateFest board has announced donations of $1,000 each to three Charlevoix County organizations working to preserve water quality in the area. The organizations are The Lake Charlevoix Association, Friends of the Jordan, and Friends of the Boyne River.

The Boyne City PirateFest started with a bang in 2018 drawing thousands of visitors to town. After skipping a year due to COVID-19 the board decided in 2021, with a measure of caution, to have the full event, always the 2nd weekend of "Arrrgust."

Tremendous community support resulted in the third annual PirateFest being more successful than ever, and now the non-profit has paid it forward at its volunteer appreciation party on Monday, Nov. 29 at Boyne City Lanes where checks were presented to the chosen charities. 

The party also acted as a time to say “thank you” to all the hard working volunteers who helped make it happen, and to the sponsors, some of whom are: Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau, Big Country 102.9, Charlevoix State Bank, 98.1 The BEAR, Lynda’s Real Estate, Jordan Valley Outfitters, 98.5 UPS, Sunnyside Catering, Stafford’s “The Weathervane” of Charlevoix, Challenge Mountain, Cutting Edge Computers of Gaylord, Valley Graphics in East Jordan, Kiwanis, Boyne City Lanes, Central Drug Store in Charlevoix, Boyne Mountain Resort, ROCK 105 FM and the Lake Street Pub.