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Jack Tisron stands 552 feet above the water atop the northern support tower of the Mackinac Bridge and takes in a view of Mackinac Island.
(File Photo | MLive.com)
MACKINAW CITY, MI - Participants could have a rare opportunity to see one of the best views on the Great Lakes.
The Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association is holding a raffle which will give the winner and a companion an almost unprecedented experience to view the Straits of Mackinac from atop the Mackinac Bridge.
The GLLKA applied to the Mackinac Bridge Authority, which offers this opportunity to several nonprofit organizations annually in order to help raise funds.
"It is a wonderful opportunity for a nonprofit to be honored in this way, and we're very appreciative," said Terry Pepper, executive director of the GLLKA, which was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1983, making it one of the longest-lived lighthouse preservation groups in the nation.
Proceeds from this event will benefit the GLLKA and its mission to restore and maintain historic lighthouses along the Great Lakes. The organization has adopted the St. Helena Island Light Station and the Cheboygan River Front Range Light.
"Restoring these lighthouses is a very expensive undertaking, as is preservation, but having this opportunity really helps out and gives us a shot in the arm," Pepper said.
The winner and a companion will accompany representatives from the Mackinac Bridge Authority as they travel up an elevator embedded in a bridge tower, followed by a brief climb in the tower interior, before emerging at a viewing deck with a full view of the Straits.
"On a clear day, they say you can see for miles," Pepper said. "It is a heck of an opportunity."
The tickets are $5 dollars each or five for $20, and the drawing will be held on July 31 at the GLLKA office, 707 N. Huron Ave., Mackinaw City. Ticket holders do not need to be present to win. Tickets are available in the GLLKA Gift Shop during regular hours or by calling 231-436-5580.
Pepper said roughly 2,000 of the 5,000 tickets have already been purchased.
Jonathan Van Zytveld is a writer for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at jvanzytv@mlive.com, and follow him on Twitter.