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The Friends of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park group has been named the winner of the 
Great Lakes Center for Youth Development’s 2015 Upper Peninsula service award in the volunteer program category.
Two representatives from the friends’ organization will be honored as guests of the center at its Upper Peninsula conference for nonprofit groups Oct. 15 at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.
“When I read the letter announcing the award, I was grateful for the recognition of everything this group of volunteers has accomplished,” said Sally Berman, a member of the Friends of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park board. “We are honored by this award.”
The friends group was recognized for providing community art and music experiences, including folk school classes, artist-in-residence presentations and the Porcupine Mountains Music Festival.
The group also provides financial support for youth ski helmet purchases, equipment for the park’s archery, lantern ski and snowshoe programs and educational trips for local schools through various grant programs.
Friends group president Jim Bradley said the award is “particularly meaningful” because it comes from “fellow Yoopers.”
In announcing the award, a letter from the center described the friends’ endeavors as “a truly outstanding program whose volunteers have dedicated time, talent and treasure to making the Upper Peninsula a better place to live.”
The Friends of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park have supported the state park in one form or another since the 1940s. The current group established federal nonprofit status in 1998 and is focused on a mission to represent all users of the Porcupine Mountains and provide a platform for ideas to improve the park.
At just over 59,000 acres, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is Michigan’s largest state park. Famed for its old-growth forests, fall colors and numerous recreation opportunities, the park is situated in the western U.P. in Ontonagon and Gogebic counties. Learn more about the park at www.michigan.gov/porkies.
For more information about volunteering with the friends to support community and projects at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, visit www.porkies.org.
