Consumers Energy Foundation Awards $50,000 for Winners of the Put Your Town on the Map Competition

Jackson, Mich. Friday, June 09, 2023

Winning communities of Fennville, Reed City, and Harbor Beach will use awards to complete community projects

Three Michigan communities have won a total of $50,000 through the Consumers Energy Foundation’s 2023 Put Your Town on the Map pitch competition to help complete projects that will strengthen and grow their communities. The city of Fennville received $25,000 for first place, Reed City received $15,000 as runner-up, and Harbor Beach received $10,000.

“The Put Your Town on the Map pitch competition is all about rewarding big, bold and innovative ideas that will help Michigan’s small towns grow and thrive,” said Carolyn Bloodworth, secretary/treasurer of the Consumers Energy Foundation. “These three winning projects will transform their communities and make them even better places to live, work, and raise a family. The Consumers Energy Foundation is proud to support their efforts, and we look forward to celebrating with them as the projects are completed.”

The winning projects are:

• Fennville – First place, $25,000: The city of Fennville is working on installing wayfinding signs to help unify the region and surrounding communities. The signs will be bilingual to support inclusivity and the community’s mission to promote diversity and growth.
• Reed City – Second place, $15,000: Reed City Crossroads Recreation Connection aims to bring outdoor recreational activities to the community to enhance fun opportunities for families and visitors. They will use the funding to support many projects currently underway, including the Pocket Park in the downtown business area, a community dog park, and sites for other outdoor activities.
• Harbor Beach – Third place, $10,000: The funding will be used to support efforts to expand gardening in the community so that it can grow its own food, support the local farmers market, and enhance the annual Harvest Festival. The community plans to install a large number of raised-bed planters throughout the community.

“"The City of Fennville is thrilled to be awarded this prize from the Consumers Energy Foundation,” said Katie Beemer, city administrator for Fennville. “Our bilingual wayfinding project is not just about putting physical signs in place that will help give people directions around town, it is also about reminding people about the amazing places and benefits of living in our community, something that often goes overlooked in small and rural communities." 

A panel of judges chose the three winning projects on Thursday, June 8, after officials from the 10 finalist communities made presentations at the 2023 Small Town and Rural Development Conference led by the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM).

The Put Your Town on the Map competition started in 2019 to reward ideas and provide critical dollars for projects that are being developed in small towns throughout Michigan’s lower peninsula. Communities with a population of up to 10,000 were eligible to apply.

The Consumers Energy Foundation is the charitable arm of Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider. The Foundation contributes to the growth and strengthening of Michigan communities by investing in what’s most important — our people, our planet and Michigan’s prosperity. In 2022, the Consumers Energy Foundation, Consumers Energy, its employees and retirees contributed more than $18.5 million to Michigan nonprofits. For more information, visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/foundation.

Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

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Media Contacts: Josh Paciorek, 517-243-9036, or Tracy Wimmer, 517-539-4465