1. Nine Mary Free Bed clinicians will be traveling to Guatemala to help build prosthetic legs and arms for residents.
This will be the largest group of staff making the trip and includes 6 prosthetists, 2 therapists, and Mary Free Bed's chief medical officer, Dr. Benjamin Bruinsma.
The team will be volunteering in Guatemala City for over a week with a range of motion projects to help people with amputations and limb differences maximize their mobility.
The nonprofit provides refurbished prosthetic limbs to people around the world without access.
During their last trip in October 2022, Mary Free Bed staff helped deliver a total of 39 prostheses.
2. If you're traveling by air, you’re more than likely headed to the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
They just announced they surpassed their previous passenger traffic records in 2023.
Last year the airport served a total of 3,794,915 passengers, a 6-percent increase from its record-breaking figures in 2019.
To celebrate the airport hosted various festivities including live music, free swag, and there was even a visit from the West Michigan Therapy Dogs.
Ranked as one of the fastest-growing airports in the U.S. by the Federal Aviation Administration, the Ford International Airport is currently undergoing a $600 million capital expansion.
3. Heart of West Michigan United Way hosting free community tax days starting this weekend and going into March.
Qualifying individuals and families with a household income of $65,000 or less, can get their taxes prepped and filed at no cost.
IRS-trained and certified volunteers can help individuals and families receive their returns and earned income tax credits. You must have all the required documents with you.
Visit hwmuw.org/kctcc or call 211 for more information and a list of tax sites. Walk-in appointments are first come, first serve.
4. The City Of Kentwood inviting you to their kids and their honored guests for a mystical evening on Saturday, February 10.
Guests aged two and up and their adult guests will enjoy dancing, crafts, activities, snacks, refreshments, and a photo booth at the fairy tale formal. Attendees should also be on the lookout for mermaids, unicorns, dragons, and fairies.
There will be two sessions: one from 3 to 5 p.m. and the other from 6 to 8 p.m. in the community room at the Kent District Library Kentwood Branch. The cost is $10 per person.
To learn more and register to attend or volunteer, visit Kentwood.us/fairytaleformal.
5. A popular festival is returning, and Grand Rapids is the only place in Michigan you can see these incredible works of art. The Grand Rapids Lantern Festival at John Ball Zoo is coming back for 10 weeks starting on April 10.
The festival is a one-mile light tour featuring handcrafted Asian lantern displays that illuminate the zoo and tell the intersecting story of wildlife and Asian culture.
This year there will be new lanterns and added interactive experiences.
General admission tickets for the Grand Rapids Lantern Festival goes on sale on Monday.
