June 2024 Newsletter

Project Funds Continue To Come In

Phase One of the restoration is a huge amount of the project budget and we are very fortunate to have received several more significant donations and grants. Since early May we received $1240 from Jerry Timmons from the Dust Off Car Show, a matching grant for $15,000 from United Way, an anonymous donation of $20,000 from a community member, and a grant from the Strosacker Foundation for $100,000!!!!!!                

These funds make possible the roof replacement and are helping allow us to get closer to the exterior sandstone repair. We have also submitted grant applications to the Gratiot County Community Foundation, Consumers Energy Foundation for a Prosperity Grant, and have begun the initial stages of inquiry with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Baby Doll Donation

The precious little one shown on the left will eventually be at home in the Wright House.  This real-life baby doll (donated by Pat Clark) will be in a hospital bassinet in what was once Smith Memorial Hospital nursery.

Plans are in the making to restore the nursery to look as it would have in the 1930s-40s-50s.  And there are 7,000+ of us who are pretty excited about returning to see the place where are lives began 

In fact, Jim Goodspeed is organizing a “Babies Born at Smith Memorial Hospital” Reunion on Saturday, August 17 in Wright Park.  This reunion will also include tours of the Wright Home.

And the reunion is just one of several events planned this summer.  June 4th will kick-off the season with Evening in the Park featuring the life of Ammi Wright and on June 13th you won’t want to miss the Wright Night for Trivia and silent auction. Bobbi Bush and her team have been planning this event for weeks and it promises to lots of fun for all.

Notes & News

Did you know????

• That Bobbi Bush and her team of fundraisers meet EVERY WEEK to organize and plan for events such as the Highland Festival Parade and booth; the Farmers’ Markets in Breckenridge and Alma; Wright Night Trivia; Dust Off Car Shows; Breckenridge Days and many other events!!!!  This team is on fire with ideas

• That Elmer Johnson has been posing as Ammi Wright???  He looked pretty sharp in his top hat and tails walking alongside “Anna Case Wright” (Bobbi Bush) in the Highland Festival Parade.

• That a team of Steering Committee and community members are visiting local businesses and industries to help obtain funding for the Wright House Restoration?

• That the Face Book page now has more than 2,500 members!!!! 

• That Rochelle O’Shay writes a very cool blog every week…its on the website Wrightmuseum.org

• That Carolyn Studley is awesome in making contacts and connections so that grant applications can be submitted.

• That Jaci Everest is searching garage sales for Christmas Trees to place in the Wright House.

• That Bryan Grasso and Kevin Palmer have to help other members of the Steering Committee get “online” and help them organize (thanks guys)

• That there is still time to get tickets for Wright Night Trivia.  Go to the Website or the Face Book Group Page or contact Bobbi Bush.

• That John Skinner and Mary Sexton have some fabulous ideas for fundraising with Alma High School Alums…

  Stay tuned for more details!

Elmer Johnson & Bobbi Bush as Ammi Wright & Harriet Barton during the Alma Highland Parade Memorial Day weekend 2024.