The past six years Fishtown’s shanties, docks and landscape have received incredible care, thanks to our donors supporting the work and all the contractors who have labored through long cold winters to get the work done one project at a time. The remaining projects are due to be completed by late spring 2025.
Through it all Joy and Janice Sue have sat patiently in the river, awaiting their turn. Vessels, like buildings, require ongoing maintenance, and this year for Giving Tuesday we hope you’ll join us in showing your love for these iconic boats.
We have chosen a theme for Giving Tuesday this year, “Tug Love—A Fishtown Story,” in honor of the Joy and Janice Sue, boats that are so familiar in Fishtown that sometimes we take them for granted. Over the course of Giving Tuesday in our emails and social media posts we’ll share stories about Joy and Janice Sue, from when they were built to today, so you can appreciate even more how special they are and how they connect us to the past and present of Fishtown and the Great Lakes.
The Janice Sue needs cabin repairs after being hit while moored near the dredge in Leland Harbor, as well as a new coat of paint. Over the summer Captain Joel Petersen discovered that Joy was having serious engine problems, so serious that he was worried that he wouldn’t be able to finish the season. Joel knows how to work on Joy’s Cummins 6CTA350hp engine, but he discovered that the clutch needs to be rebuilt, work that has to be done by a specialist in Wisconsin. Work on Janice Sue is to keep her in good condition and chub-ready, but Joy, which catches fresh lake whitefish, cannot go fishing again until this work is done. The total cost of these projects is $35,000—$14,000 for Janice Sue and $21,000 for Joy. Our goal is to raise enough to cover these repairs.
To make the day more fun, whether you donate on-line or with a call to the office, when you give, you’ll have an opportunity to vote with your donation which boat you care for most. It’ll be a time to show your Tug Love.
How to Give—
Phone: 231-256-8878
Mail: send checks to PO Box 721, Leland, MI 49654
—notify us of your Giving Tuesday gift, and put your check in the mail by December 4, payable to FPS
In-Person: Stop by our office—203 E Cedar Street, Leland
Online: CLICK HERE
Your Gift Matters! For more information call 231-256-8878 or email us at info@fishtownmi.org.
Please forward this information to your friends and family, and share our Giving Tuesday posts on Facebook and Instagram