11th Annual Benoit Bash raises money for Bay Cliff

ESCANABA — One community took full advantage of the great weather we had over the weekend, by coming together and raising money for a good cause. The 11th Annual Benoit Bash took place on Saturday to raise money for the Bay Cliff Health Camp in Big Bay.

The event featured music, games, bounce houses, and fun for the whole family, with all of the proceeds going to a great cause that the community rallies behind.

“First of all, I’ll tell you that this community is amazing, anything our community can do to help someone else or help an organization, they definitely do it,” said Benoit Bash organizer Steve Benoit. “The other thing is I think Bay Cliff has effected so many people, and I think it’s one of my favorite things to do when I go out to ask for donations, is to hear people’s stories. To hear an elderly person say that their mom was at Bay Cliff Health Camp when they had polio when they were a child, those are amazing stories. So Bay Cliff has effected so many people in our community.”

“We’re a nonprofit organization, we exist solely on the generosity of others and we can accept kids at little-to-no cost because of events like this,” said Ben Talarico, the Media and Grants Coordinator for Bay Cliff Health Camp. “To have us be able to grow into an even larger organization than we already are, we need events like this. We need support, and we need people like the Benoit family recognizing the good work that we do. And I would love to see, not just this event, but events throughout the whole state grow and support Bay Cliff so we as an organization grow.”

This year, the event and all of the money that is raised will be donated is in honor of Owen Johnson, a young man who passed away recently and always loved Bay Cliff.

“To have it in honor of my son this year, it’s just the biggest honor ever,” said Owen Johnson’s mother, Kelli Danz. “This is a community event that effects so many people, and it truly is an honor to have it in honor of my son this year. He touched so many people’s lives because he was just a caring and loving young man, and he attended Bay Cliff as a youngster and as an adult. And he loved going to Bay Cliff, it was wonderful for him.”

Many businesses and friends from around the community come together to throw the bash every year, and as of right now the total amount of money that was raised this year has not been completely counted.