Mackinac Bridge Walk Crowd Surpasses Expectations at 57,000
By Paul Gingras

Thousands of participants arrive in Mackinaw City after completing a five-mile trek on the Mackinac Bridge Monday, September 3.

Beaming smiles and jovial spirits pervaded the 50th Annual Mackinac Bridge Walk Monday, September 3, an historic Labor Day event that included participants from the first Bridge Walk as well as newcomers drawn by the sheer beauty of the bridge and the opportunity to see the Straits of Mackinac under their own power.

A warm breeze blew beneath a flawless blue sky for the approximately 57,000 walkers who crossed the Mighty Mac, the 300 runners who preceded them, and the 54 swimmers on Team Dire Straits, who swam from St. Ignace to Mackinaw City. Fifty members of Dire Straits completed the swim. Four swam part way and reached the other side via support boats. One of the swimmers endured hypothermia, said swimmer Kellie Nightlinger.

Turnout for the walk was "way, way larger than anticipated," said Bob Sweeney, executive secretary for the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA). "I knew we would have a good crowd, but I had not expected this."

Governor Jennifer Granholm (front, wearing cap) leads runners across the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day.

Last year, there were 47,200 walkers.

The high turnout was mostly likely related to the weather and the fact that this is the 50th anniversary of the bridge, he speculated. A volley of media attention, MBA advertising, and the efforts of the Mackinac Bridge 50th Anniversary Committee were the forces that generated the traffic, Mr. Sweeney said.

The MBA allowed walkers to begin their trek up until 3:30 p.m., owing to a shortage of buses that caused delays. Normally, the last walker begins at 11 a.m.

There were fewer buses than expected to shuttle participants between St. Ignace and Mackinaw City this year.

Ninety-eight vehicles were on hand. Usually, there are about 115. Some buses broke down prior to the event, said Lorraine Garries of the MBA, who was in charge of busing. Traffic congestion in Mackinaw City made it difficult to get the vehicles to the staging area, Mr. Sweeney said, but despite long waits, people in line were in good spirits, and the MBA accommodated them by allowing participants to walk the bridge later in the day than usual.

While walkers celebrated the 50th Annual Mackinac Bridge Walk Monday, September 3, three generations of Benjamins marked their fourth annual crossing. Beverly Benjamin (right) of Mackinac Island made the five-mile crossing with her daughter, Jane Young (left) of Mackinac Island and Petoskey, and granddaughter Laurel. After beginning in St. Ignace and making many stops along the way to take photographs, including capturing the passage of the freighter Roger Blough beneath the bridge, the trio was handed multicolored bridge anniversary certificates an hour and 40 minutes later, as they reached Mackinaw City. The women took the 8 a.m. ferry to St. Ignace, walked the bridge, and took the ferry back to the Island from Mackinaw City, a plan that works out well and avoids vehicle traffic, said Mrs. Benjamin. "We had a very good walk," she said back on the Island. "For me, it's fun because I get to walk it with my daughter and granddaughter.

Mr. Sweeney termed the event a success, and noted walkers enjoyed a window of exceptionally fine weather, between two windy and rainy days.

Long-time friends Pat George, Joanne Stevens, and Madeline Sacquety walked the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day with the Michigan Recreation and Parks Association. They stayed at Mission Point Resort.

To ensure safety, the MBA drew upon 15 police agencies this year, two more than usual, including the Michigan National Guard, local police, and police from Emmet and Cheboygan counties. This year, the MBA worked with the Federal Aviation Administration to create a temporary flight restriction. Undercover agents from the Transportation Security Administration, a wing of the Department of Homeland Security, mingled with the crowd and looked for suspicious activity, Mr. Sweeney said.

There were no problems, and all feedback received by the MBA about the event was positive, he said.

The sunrise over the Straits of Mackinac was spectacular, said Governor Jennifer Granholm, who led the bridge runners at 6:35 a.m.

"It is a perfect day and an historic occasion - what could be better?" she told The St. Ignace News. She added that her son, Jack, ran through the tape at the finish line.

Addressing a crowd, she said the Mackinac Bridge "is symbolic in many ways." In 2007, it can be seen as a symbol for the state's economic prosperity, as Michigan builds a bridge that reaches toward its economic future, she said.

Dan Mulhern, the governor's husband, said he loved the bridge walk and described the scene from the top as "unbelievably beautiful," and also humbling. As the runners crossed the five-mile span, they shouted down to the swimmers. Incredibly, he said, the swimmers could be heard shouting back as they cut through the water.

Ken Achard of Grand Rapids was the only member of the running group to use a wheelchair. He called the bridge walk "a complete blessing."

"I hope it inspires other people to get out and do things," Mr. Achard said, adding that he plans to participate next year. "I will get a sport chair to go faster," he said. Increasing physical exercise has "opened up a whole new world" for him, he added. "I want to do more and more."

"You just feel better when you do these kinds of things," said Marilyn Lieber of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, who helped coordinate the 28 running teams, which were based throughout the state. Three teams came from the Upper Peninsula; one was based in the Houghton and Hancock area, another from Ishpeming, and a third from Amheek.

Runners included children and adults who had trained since May for the bridge run.

Using the bridge crossing to encourage exercise is a "great opportunity to establish a habit for a lifetime," Ms. Lieber said. "It snowballs from this.

The theme of physical fitness ran through the event.

Miss Nightlinger said she was amazed at the caliber of the swimmers, many of whom had completed ultra-marathon and Ironman Triathlons. They prepared meticulously and took the swim very seriously, she said, adding that the athletes enjoyed themselves and had fun waving and communicating with people on the bridge. The swimmers cut through the water very close to the bridge. Occasionally, currents caused them to travel under the span.

Team members traveled in six or seven groups she said, and each set its pace by its slowest swimmer.

Prior to entering the water, Team Dire Straits received a formal American Indian blessing from Darryl Brown of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The blessing focused on respecting nature, and in particular, honoring the water, Miss Nightlinger said.

After his walk across the bridge, John Vance of Toledo, Ohio, looked back at the mass of walkers proceeding across the bridge behind him, and said, "The bridge walk means a lot. It brings a lot of people together."

Mr. Vance has taken part in the event every year for several decades. Once, he was the last allowed person onto the bridge, before high winds forced the MBAto close it to new walkers.

This year, Mr. Vance brought his three-month-old son, Noah, and his 20-month-old daughter, Zoey, and enjoyed the slight breeze.

Just past the bridge, walkers encountered representatives of four local anti-war groups, Northern Michigan People for Peace, Mideast: JustPeace, Straits Area Concerned Citizens for Peace and Justice, and a representative of Veterans for Peace. The groups held signs protesting the United States involvement in the Middle East. It is the second year anti-war protests have been staged near the bridge. Signs and banners are not allowed on the bridge.

Trisha Shattuck, of the Northern Michigan People for Peace, said protesting the war has been an arduous task that requires changing people's minds one at a time.

"People are coming around," she said, adding her belief that money spent on war would be better spent in on social causes like education.

Members of the anti-war faction said reaching people in public at large events is important.

Saying that the majority of the public is now against U.S. involvement in the Middle East, Ellis Boal of Charlevoix commented that the continued presence of protest groups at events helps keep people's spirits up.

Despite a few jeers, members of the groups said the response of bridge walkers to their efforts was overwhelmingly positive.