A Pentagon survivor stood before a crowd in Clinton Township on Friday the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks to share what he witnessed firsthand when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building.

Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Larry Powell was the keynote speaker at Clinton Township's annual Patriot Day ceremony at Resurrection Cemetery. He was 100 yards from the point of impact when the plane hit.

See the full story in the video below Pentagon survivor shares 9/11 story at Clinton Township ceremony on 25th anniversary

Powell said he had just returned from a morning run when a colleague delivered the first piece of devastating news.

"And I got back to my office after running and was just getting settled in, someone came into the office and said a plane had just hit the World Trade Center," Powell said.

Later, the Pentagon became the next target.

"I was walking down the stairs, and I heard an explosion, I felt the building shake," Powell said.

When asked how close he felt he came to dying that day, Powell said the distance gave him perspective.

"I don't think I ever felt like I was close to dying but I was within 100 yards of where the plane hit so I felt lucky I was that far away," Powell said.

184 people died at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Powell said he and his colleagues did what they could to help others reach safety before firefighters turned them back.

"There were a couple of people we helped get on a stretcher, most of them were walking, we were probably still halfway to that impact area when the firefighters said you guys don't have the equipment you can't come in, too hot anyway to get people out of there," Powell said.

Powell said events like Friday's ceremony serve a purpose that history books cannot.

"I think it's really important for things like this where you actually talk to a Larry Powell who comes out and tells you his story about where he was that day, it's not just something that happened or you learn about in a history book," Powell said.

Ashley Brouwer, a Macomb County first responder who was just 1 year old on Sept. 11, 2001, attended the ceremony and said meeting a survivor made the tragedy feel real in a way it never had before.

"You always kinda see movies, TV shows, you never get to actually meet somebody who was there and experienced the tragedy," Brouwer said.

Brouwer said she worries younger generations may not fully grasp the weight of what happened that day.

"I do feel like the younger generation has this they understand a little bit of the importance but they don't get the full grasp of the entirety of the situation," Brouwer said.

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A Metro Detroit pizza institution is marking 70 years in business and taking its family recipe from neighborhood storefronts to grocery store freezers across the Midwest.

Buscemi's Pizza, founded in 1956 by Paul Buscemi, has grown to nearly 60 locations, with 50 currently open and 10 more on the way. Now, the family behind the brand is expanding into frozen retail, with the line already available in approximately 150 independent stores and 70 Kroger locations across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

Tony Buscemi, president of Original Buscemi's, said the recipe traces back generations.

"It's my dad's recipe, everything I knew came from his mother," Buscemi said.

The first store opened on Gratiot and Tofour in East Detroit. Decades later, the brand's loyal following remains strong enough that customers routinely drive past multiple locations to reach a preferred one.

Watch the Full Story Below

Robert Mulrenin, a regular customer, said he visits about once a week.

"I pass 3 Buscemis to get to this one," Mulrenin said.

Vincent Pouncy visits even more frequently.

"There's one right by my house, I'd rather come here," Pouncy said.

The location drawing that kind of loyalty is on Hall Road in Utica the fourth Buscemi's ever opened. Tony Buscemi said he wants all of his stores to follow that location's model of consistency.

"When you have a brand for so long, it carries some kind of weight of nostalgia and quality, and the customers they bypass other pizza places and other Buscemis just to come to the one where they know they'll get the right food," Buscemi said.

In keeping with family tradition, Tony Buscemi's daughter and daughter-in-law are leading the frozen pizza venture.

"Buscemi's frozen pizza, we've got in probably 150 local mom-and-pop stores Ohio, Michigan, Indiana we're in 70 Krogers," Buscemi said.

For Mulrenin, the appeal is simple.

"I don't know what they do, but to me it's the best pizza in the area," Mulrenin said.

A cormorant colony nesting on Dog Island in Harrison Township is at the center of a growing dispute between conservationists, residents, and a state lawmaker who says the birds are damaging Lake St. Clair's ecosystem.

Beth Noren, conservation chairperson for the Macomb Audubon Society, says the birds are a native species that deserve protection.

"I love seeing them sail low over the water, that's my favorite part about watching them," Noren said.

Noren says the cormorants have been nesting on Dog Island since 2020, and that the small piece of land on Lake St. Clair offers them an ideal location.

"Yes, they're a native species they were decimated in the 50s and 60s, they're a remarkable comeback story," Noren said.

"These trees this is the best spot for them to have the least amount of contact with people," Noren said.

The trees on Dog Island are dead a result of the birds' acidic droppings and high water levels.

"Their poop is acidic, and it can actually kill the trees they nest on. These trees died from a combination of that and high water in 2019, 2020," Noren said.

On Monday, Noren joined a group of peaceful protesters who carried signs reading "Dog Island is for the birds" and "Dead trees are a part of the ecosystem." Their message: leave the birds and the trees alone.

State Rep. Alicia St. Germaine, who represents District 62, disagrees. She says the cormorants are a threat to Lake St. Clair and that it is time to relocate them.

"Everything underneath those birds died because of those acidic droppings," St. Germaine said.

"I don't think it's fair to ask my constituents to risk losing our fishing industry, having to deal with the smell and the destruction to our vegetation," St. Germaine said.

Doug Batty, who has lived near the island for years, says the impact on the area has been significant.

"This island was lush and had beautiful trees, and then the cormorants showed up," Batty said.

"The canal I live on now it was probably the premier canal for ice fishing on lake St. Clair in Macomb County, and now it's void of fish in the wintertime; it's almost a waste of time to go out ice fishing," Batty said.

In July, St. Germaine secured $500,000 in the state budget for the Michigan DNR to fund cormorant control efforts. She says she is working with the DNR to possibly cut the trees down as soon as this winter.

Noren warns that removing the nesting trees could make the problem worse, not better.

"They're planning on cutting the nesting trees down after the birds migrate this fall, and when those birds come back in the spring, they're not just gonna disappear; they're going to spread to the trees in all the neighborhoods and start nesting again in places where they're more in conflict with people," Noren said.

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A Clinton Township family is celebrating a new home designed around the needs of their 20-year-old daughter, Jeni Felix, who has cerebral palsy.

Habitat for Humanity of Macomb County, with the help of several donors, built the nearly 1,400-square-foot ranch on Buckingham Street for the family of six.

Watch 7 Action News reporter Evan Sery's story in the video below:

Clinton Township family gets accessible home built for daughter with cerebral palsy

"We dreamt of a handicap accessible house for a long time," Felix said.

The home features wider entry doors, wider bedroom doors, wider hallways, and open areas designed for Felix to navigate independently.

"This house has ... areas where she can actually drive herself in," Glenn Rothenhauser, construction supervisor for Habitat for Humanity Macomb County, said.

Born with cerebral palsy, everyday tasks many take for granted have never come easy for Jeni. In her previous home, she could not get up the stairs and had never had her own bedroom.

"It won't be as difficult to go shower," Felix said. "The doors are like, wide."

Rothenhauser said the project was deeply rewarding.

"It feels fantastic, it really gives you a good feeling that you're actually contributing something," Rothenhauser said.

For Jeni Felix's father, Javier Felix, the new home brings relief on multiple levels both for his daughter's independence and for the stability of home ownership.

"Its just awesome, you know? She's able to go in and out of the house as she pleases without worrying about is she gonna bump into this, bump into that," Javier Felix said.

"Just having a forever house not having that worry in the back of your head when you're a renter," Javier Felix said.

Felix already has plans for her new bedroom.

"Decorating, yeahlike a star pillow, and a panda nightlight," she said.

For Javier Felix, the moment carries a meaning that goes beyond four walls.

"My house, I finally get to call it my house, is built for her, it's one of the proudest things I can have," Javier Felix said.

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As the nation approaches the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, a free exhibit at Macomb Community College in Clinton Township is helping visitors remember that day and teaching a new generation why it matters.

The exhibit is open to the public at the Lorenzo Cultural Center on the Macomb Community College campus. It features artifacts from some of the targeted sites and ceiling-tall banners wrapped around to resemble and honor the Twin Towers. The names of every 9/11 victim are displayed in blue lighting.

William Wood, the college's director for cultural affairs and community engagement, said the scope of the attacks made narrowing the exhibit's focus a challenge.

Watch The Full Story Below

"It's a bigger story than you can put into one exhibit, so we had to work with what we're gonna focus on," Wood said.

The exhibit centers on the names of victims and first responders. Wood said the lighting was a deliberate choice.

"The material calls for a certain somberness to the lighting; it just seemed the right thing," Wood said.

Linda Klein, a visitor from Warren, said she was at work at the Tank Automotive Command in Warren on September 11, 2001, when she began hearing coworkers talk about what was unfolding.

"As the day went on, I kept hearing people talk more and more. I was scared a terrorist might attack the Tank Automotive Command," Klein said.

She said what she heard that day details about how planes had crashed were the first signs of one of the deadliest days in American history.

Klein is among thousands of visitors who have walked through the exhibit since it opened.

"We should never forget what happened," Klein said.

First-year Macomb student Kyle Perrine was born 6 years after the attacks. He said the subject still carries emotional weight for his generation.

"The day I was shown the video in high school, almost my entire classroom was crying or tearing up," Perrine said.

Perrine said he supports the college's decision to host the exhibit.

"I agree with Macomb doing this because it shows how much respect people have for 9/11 so many thousands of students here," Perrine said.

The exhibit is free and open to the public Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Lorenzo Cultural Center on the Macomb Community College campus in Clinton Township.

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A new $70 million facility designed to serve students with special needs is opening in Sterling Heights, marking a major milestone for the Macomb Intermediate School District.

The Donald Bollinger Education Center will welcome its first students after Labor Day. The 140,000-square-foot building will serve around 250 students ranging from infants through age 26.

WXYZ reporter Evan Sery has the story in the video below:

New $70 million special needs education center opens in Sterling Heights for Macomb County students

For Ashley Levell, the moment carries deep personal meaning. Her son, A.J., was born without a heartbeat and has brain damage and global developmental delay. He is nonverbal and was enrolled in the Macomb Intermediate School District at age 3. Now 15, he will be among the first students to attend the new facility.

"He's nonverbal and they have given him the best quality of life that anyone could give him," Levell said.

Levell said the emotion of the moment hit her before I arrived to speak with her.

"Ten minutes before you walked in here I was crying, I was like, 'wow!'" Levell said.

She believes the new building will hold the same significance for A.J. and his classmates that the district has always held for their families.

"The new building will become his second home and for a lot of the other kids because they spend so much time here," Levell said. "This is their home away from home, this is a family."

The facility was funded through a 2022 school district bond proposal. Superintendent Mike Devault said the investment is designed to serve the community for generations.

"There's a pool, there's a greenhouse, all kinds of therapy rooms, special accommodations for kids to learn life skills," Devault said.

"When you do this kind of a project, you're making decisions for decades, it's like a 50-year investment," Devault said.

The center is named after Donald Bollinger, a longtime district employee who began working with the Macomb Intermediate School District in 1975. Now serving as deputy superintendent, Bollinger affectionately known as Bolly said his path into special education began long before his career in Michigan.

"Originally from Minnesota and worked at a camp there with special needs students and it kinda peaked my interest and developed from there," Bollinger said.

A dedication ceremony honoring Bollinger's legacy is scheduled for this Sunday. He said the recognition came as a surprise.

"That's part of why I was so surprised, I thought it would be named after someone who already passed on," Bollinger said.

Despite the honor, Bollinger said the credit belongs to those around him.

"I prefer to give credit to everybody else, they do all the hard working, I'm just trying to support them, that's what my job is," Bollinger said.

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A Clinton Township man was charged more than $400 for a single electric vehicle charging session at a Macomb Township Hyundai dealership after finding the charger listed as publicly available on the EVgo app.

Watch Evan Sery's video report: EV driver charged $418 at dealership charger listed as public on EVgo app

Stanley Kpenkann said he was driving home in a rental Chevy Bolt on a late August night after dropping a friend off at the airport when his battery ran low.

"I'm down to the last 20 minutes on my battery," Kpenkann said.

He opened the EVgo app to find the nearest charging station, which directed him to a Hyundai dealership on Hall Road in Macomb Township. The 44-minute session cost him $418.

"I was flabbergasted; never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be saddled with a bill of 418 dollars for a charging session," Kpenkaan said.

When Kpenkaan initially saw the charge, he assumed it was an error.

"This is probably just a billing glitch," Kpenkaan said.

But EVgo confirmed the charge was valid. The dealership's charging machine displays the pricing on its screen: $5 per kilowatt-hour and $5 per minute. Kpenkaan said he never saw those prices before starting the session.

"You don't go into a gas station where the average price of gas is 4 dollars, expecting they're gonna charge you 25 dollars per gallon," Kpenkaan said.

The dealership told me Kpenkaan had used a charger reserved for its own customers and vehicles. General managers at the dealership said the prices are set high to deter outside use.

Adrianne Merritt, a Clinton Township resident I spoke with at a Utica EV charging station where she was paying 50 cents per kilowatt-hour with no per-minute charge said the situation struck her as unreasonable.

"To me that's a little bit crazy, especially at a dealership where they're selling EV vehicles," Merritt said. "I would be livid for that amount; I'd contact the machine or dealership to see why or get some money back."

When I reached out to EVgo, a spokesperson said the company has a roaming agreement with ChargePoint, whose name appears on the chargers.

"Roaming is enabled at the Hyundai dealership in Macomb, and drivers can charge at that site through their EVgo account; however, all pricing is set by the dealership as the station owner," the spokesperson said.

Kpenkaan said the arrangement made no sense to him.

"It makes no sense for you to have it on the app, but say we don't want anyone to use it because of private use, then make it private, don't make it public," Kpenkaan said.

After back-and-forth with EVgo, the company processed what it called a goodwill refund of $405. EVgo said the remaining $13.27 reflects what the charging session would have cost under Kpenkaan's subscription plan.

Kpenkaan said he is grateful he came forward and urged other EV drivers to check prices before plugging in.

"It shouldn't take the intervention of a TV station for me to be refunded; it just seems to me like they were planning on getting away with it the whole time," Kpenkaan said.

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On National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, a powerful memorial at a Utica intersection is drawing attention and starting difficult conversations about the ongoing fentanyl and overdose crisis and for some, it is inspiring them to seek help before it is too late.

If you have driven or perhaps even pedaled past Utica Trinity Lutheran Church this month, you have likely seen exactly what Jackie Salo wants you to see.

Watch Evan Sery's video report below: Utica memorial grows to nearly 800 crosses, drawing attention to overdose and addiction crisis

"I was trying to think of a way to bring awareness," Salo said. "A lot of people, if they're not dealing with drug addiction, they don't even really think about it until it happens to their family."

It happened to Salo and her family in 2017. Her son, Zachary Young, was just 22 years old when he died from a fentanyl overdose.

"He passed at home. He was incarcerated for theft, which a lot of them do to support their habit. He was supposed to go from Oakland County to rehab. They never set it up," Salo said.

In 2020, Salo thought of a way to keep his memory alive. That idea quickly grew to include others who lost their lives to addiction and overdose. Now, Young and nearly 800 other names are memorialized on crosses at the intersection of Hall Road and Van Dyke Avenue in Utica.

"Yeah, it's a busy corner. When you're coming to the light and stopping, it can raise the conversation, why are these crosses here?" Anamaria Kretschmann said.

Kretschmann's son shares a double cross with Young. The two were best friends.

Nearby resident Wayne said the display left an impression on him.

"I thought it was an outstanding memorial," Wayne said.

Christian Jones, an associate pastor at Trinity Lutheran in Utica, where the crosses are displayed annually, said the memorial carries a message he hopes reaches anyone who sees it.

"We know that drugs are a big struggle within our community. I as associate pastor, my role is with people who are struggling with drugs," Jones said. "If anyone notices a cross just once, any single name on the street and it changes their lives how they view alcohol and drugs. If they notice that just once and changes their attitude towards drugs, that would be life-changing," Jones said.

Salo said that life-changing impact is already happening some people who have seen the display have been inspired to go to rehab.

A vigil is planned for Saturday night to honor the nearly 800 Michiganders memorialized by the crosses.

"You hear great things about all these people on the crosses, we cry together, we hug, its a grieving process that you never get over," Salo said.

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Residents in a Macomb Township subdivision say utility crews installing high-speed fiber lines have left their front yards torn up, sprinklers broken and piles of dirt sitting on sidewalks in some cases for months with little to no follow-up from the companies responsible.

Watch the full story in the video below Macomb Township homeowners say utility crews are leaving yards torn up for weeks, months

The complaints are coming from a neighborhood just south of 24 Mile Road, where AT&T and T-Mobile have both been working to install new fiber lines.

"Dug up this big hole and left a mess for the last 2 months," Brandon Reygaert said.

"Dirt piles all over the sidewalks," Crystal Lada said.

"A disaster, yeah," Lada said.

Deniese Krall, who moved to the neighborhood in June, said she and her husband repaired sprinklers they say AT&T broke on their own, without help from the company.

"It's a headache," Krall said.

Lada said attempts to reach the companies by phone went nowhere.

"They're supposed to get back to you in a certain amount of time, and was never contacted," Lada said.

Macomb Township posted a notice on its website in April alerting residents to the work underway.

"Attention Macomb Township residents utility companies have been installing new high speed fiber lines throughout Macomb Township the contractors performing this work are responsible for the restoration of any disturbed areas after construction is complete," the notice read.

Township Supervisor Frank Viviano told WXYZ any company installing utility lines should return to a property within 96 hours to restore it. For many residents, that has not happened.

The township says state law gives these companies the ability to work within the public right of way and utility easements that already exist on most properties.

AT&T responded with a statement, saying in part: "We take these concerns very seriously and apologize to residents for the disruption our work may have caused."

A T-Mobile spokesperson said in an email: "Crews restore affected areas as work progresses, with the goal of leaving each property in the same or better condition than it was found."

Residents say they understand the companies have the legal right to do the work. They just want their yards restored.

"I can tell you I've heard neighbors talk about they've had to invest in sod, they've had wires taken out, wires laid loose, its not just sod, its the principle!" Krall said.

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A Macomb Township Navy veteran is preserving local history one handcrafted model at a time and his work is now becoming a permanent part of the township's legacy.

George Carpenter, 81, has spent nearly 2,000 hours building detailed replicas of historic buildings throughout Macomb County. The retired electrician has completed 11 models in total, four of which are now on display in township hall.

Watch Evan Sery's video report below: Navy veteran preserves Macomb Township history through handcrafted models

"One thousand nine hundred fifty hours I kept track of all my hours," Carpenter said.

Carpenter spent nearly three months building a model of an 1898 home that once stood on 25 Mile near North Avenue.

"I had to finish the whole first floor complete with all the carpentry, all the lighting, painting, everything else before I started the second floor," Carpenter said.

This past week, Carpenter donated the model to Macomb Township at a board meeting.

Leon Drolet, the township treasurer, said the detail in Carpenter's work is what makes the donation so remarkable.

"He donated it at our board meeting this past Wednesday, and what's amazing about it is the detail," Drolet said.

"Once we get it covered in plexiglass, we can put it on display in our lobby for when residents come in to pay a water bill or for a meeting or anything like that," Drolet said.

Carpenter also built and donated a model of the old township hall, a building that still stands today.

"It's been moved twice over the years to keep it from being demolished," Drolet said.

His models span a range of subjects from boats to vintage cars and historic structures all capturing the unique history and architecture of Macomb County.

"It's the certain gables and all the intricate woodworking on the outside I've always liked different woods," Carpenter said.

Carpenter said the response to his work has meant a great deal to him.

"I'm honored. I'm very honored. I'm glad other people appreciate it, and I've got nothing but a positive response from it," Carpenter said.

Drolet said Carpenter's contributions go beyond the models themselves.

"He's helped us maintain those memories, those important buildings," Drolet said.

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Lake St. Clair generates $2.2 billion in economic impact annually, and Macomb County leaders say they are not done investing in the waterfront.

Watch Evan Sery's report below Lake St. Clair drives $2.2 billion economic impact as Macomb County eyes more shoreline development

At the annual Great Lakes Policy Conference Wednesday, County Executive Mark Hackel highlighted the lake's economic footprint 17 million visitors each year, more than 1,000 businesses, and over 60 marinas while outlining plans for even more development along the shoreline.

"There's a lot more attractions out on the lake, there's piers in and around these municipalities, St. Clair Shores, obviously in Chesterfield," Hackel said.

Among the projects in the pipeline: $15 million in renovations for Lake St. Clair Metropark.

Hackel also revealed ongoing discussions about a potential hotel and convention center on the lake.

"There's been continuous conversation even with the visitor convention bureau, about possibly how do we get some type of hotel convention center out on Lake St. Clair, we're interested, the municipal leaders and coastlines leaders along the shoreline are interested," Hackel said.

Businesses along the Harrison Township waterfront say they have already felt the impact of that investment. Bumper's Landing, a waterfront restaurant nestled next to Lake St. Clair, has grown steadily in recent years.

"Bumper's Landing has expanded from the tiki to this building to that building," General Manager David Colling said.

Colling credits the growth to continued investment in the lake and the owner's original vision for the property.

"This is the owner's vision, he wanted a little slice of Florida," Colling said.

"We've been able to expand thanks to what they've invested into Lake St. Clair," Colling said.

At Sundog Marina, which operates about 100 boat slips on the lake, Manager Brian Kelley said the water itself remains the biggest draw.

"The fishing is good, the swimming is fun, the water quality is good," Kelley said.

Kelley said a hotel and convention center would be a welcome addition, particularly for those who want to experience the lake without owning a boat.

"Oh that would be great, we should enjoy the water here, all these people enjoy the water but open it up to more people who can't afford a boat," Kelley said.

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A major road widening project in Macomb Township has been stalled for years, leaving behind boarded-up homes, abandoned businesses and frustrated residents who say they were forced out long before construction ever began.

Watch Evan Sery's report below Romeo Plank Road widening project stalled for years, leaving boarded-up homes and closed businesses in Macomb Township

Along Romeo Plank Road, between 21 and a half and 23 Mile roads, vacant and abandoned homes and buildings sit idle. The stretch was supposed to undergo a major, multi-million dollar renovation years ago.

Macomb Township Supervisor Frank Viviano said the scene is difficult to look at.

"It's embarrassing to have these boarded up houses," Viviano said.

"It makes everyone who lives here feel like we're living in this ghost town," Viviano said.

The two-lane roads are supposed to be widened to five lanes to ease traffic congestion. Viviano said a roundabout will eventually be built at the intersection as well. But a federal permitting issue has held the project up.

"It's hard to explain why it's taken this long for something that has been a normal standard operating procedure for so many years. A very specific permit has been held up at the federal level," Viviano said.

For Michael Thursam, the delays are personal. His former home along the corridor is now boarded up. Eminent domain forced his family to leave what he called their dream home.

"Yeah it makes me sick," Thursam said.

"This was me and my wife's dream home," Thursam said.

Thursam said he wants the project stopped entirely.

"Really I'd just like to see their whole project get shut down, federal funding get stopped, and I can try to get a lawyer and get my home back," Thursam said.

I also spoke with the owner of a once-booming liquor store on Romeo Plank Road that is now boarded up. The owner still lives nearby but said he does everything he can to avoid seeing it.

Nathan Kizi operated Mario's Corner Market for 15 years before eminent domain forced him out in 2022. The building was demolished in 2024. More than two years later, construction has still not begun.

"They were telling me I had to leave," Kizi said.

"I legit have to detour so I don't see the abandoned building anymore," Kizi said.

"I could have made a lot of money in two years, no reason to kick me out at that time," Kizi said.

The Macomb County Department of Roads said the project is moving forward. In a statement, the department said it "is in the final stages of review and approval of the environmental assessment." The statement also said the project "has been delayed due to some unique elements as they related to the historic district" and that "the process is now at the end stage of that review and the county anticipates federal approval in the coming months." County officials said early operations could begin as soon as next year.

Viviano pointed to a breakdown in communication between the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration as part of the problem.

"There was disconnect between MDOT and federal highway, those communication issues I find them to be unacceptable," Viviano said.

An MDOT spokesperson said the agency has been trying to help the county get back on track to following the regulations required by the Federal Highway Administration, but that MDOT has no role in the project itself. The Federal Highway Administration did not respond to a request for comment.

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Every first Wednesday in August, volunteers at the Huron Yacht Club open their boats to people with muscular dystrophy for a day on the water an experience many participants say they can't get anywhere else.

Watch Evan Sery's report below Charity boat outing for those living with muscular dystrophy in Harrison Twp.

20 people with MD-boarded boats at the club Wednesday, with help from Harrison Township firefighters who assisted guests onto the vessels.

Blythe Collins, one of the event's participants, said the outing offers something rare.

"I can't really go on a boat anywhere else...this gives me the opportunity to go on a boat ride," Collins said.

For April Shaw, another participant, the time on the water is a peaceful escape.

"Nice, listening to the music," Shaw said. "When it's not bumpy, it's nice and calming."

Tony Wheaton, a boat captain who has volunteered his vessel for the annual event for several years, said the day offers a meaningful reminder.

"Puts things into perspective, what people have to go through on a daily basis, we live our lives like nothing and these parents here don't get to do things like this all the time," Wheaton said.

Harrison Township firefighter Austin Masalskis has been part of the event for many years and said the reaction from participants speaks for itself.

"I mean look how many people are smiling, the kids come back and they're like this was awesome," Masalskis said.

The event traces its roots back to the club's earliest days. Faye LaPorte, the event's chairman, explained how it started.

"When the club was brand new, there were only a few people, one of their daughters had MD they decided to take her out for a boat ride one day, worked out so well, then got more people the next and started to build every year," LaPorte said.

The tradition has now spanned half a century. LaPorte said she reached out because she wanted people to see what a small event like this can mean to those who attend.

"They love coming here, say they feel like real people, nobody's pointing at them or anything like that," LaPorte said.

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