The Suttons Bay Strong Project

Sign up to support Suttons Bay Strong today!

Awesome news! Thanks to the Northern Michigan Community Health Innovation Region and the Cherry Capital Cycling Club, we’ve launched a pilot project in Suttons Bay. The goal is to partner with local champions to weave a culture of health into the fabric of Suttons Bay. Like you, we are committed to a healthier, happier, stronger Suttons Bay.

The Vision

Kids learning to move, and moving to learn. They are physically active as part of ordinary life – like going to school or the park or the library or the beach – and inspiring their parents, teachers, principals, neighbors to do the same. This is a powerful means to sustainable community health.

Organized sports and recreation are part of the solution, but Norte works to intergrate walking and biking into daily routines. We’ve seen this empower young people to be independent, happy, confident, and ready to learn. With this strength, they become guardians of their health, develop lifelong habits to move more and sit less and be leaders in their community.

The Project

Norte’s youth-centered, active transportation-focused, neighborhood-based model combines four interconnected initiatives to engage, empower and motivate young people – and those who love them.

  • Safe Routes to School: Encouragement and educational programs empowering students to walk or bike themselves to school.
  • Pro Walk/Pro Bike Advocacy: Building stronger, better connected, and more walk/bike friendly communities.
  • Youth mountain bike team: Developing confidence, independence and grit by way of pedal-powered adventures in our northern Michigan forests.
  • Youth leadership council: Assisting self-directed young people to speak up, stand up, get involved and do good in their community.

The Plan

The Suttons Bay Strong is a two-year project to strengthen community. Together, we can empower kids to get off the couch, off their screens, and outside. The project will help build a stronger, better connected and more walk/bike-friendly Suttons Bay.

The Team

Would you like to nominate yourself or someone else for the Suttons Bay Strong advisory council? Send us an email at hello@elgruponorte.org

The Community Partners

Being a Suttons Bay Strong Project Community Partner is both easy and rewarding. Community partners commit to support efforts for a healthier, more walkable and bikeable Suttons Bay.

Email us at hello@elgruponorte.org to have your organization, business or event added to the list.

Get Involved

Change is local. It begins on your street. We have developed a grassroots method that recruits, trains, and empowers neighborhood champions to take the lead and be the change they wish to see.

If you are passionate about happy, healthy, ready to learn kids and a stronger, better connected, more walk/bike-friendly Suttons Bay, then we need you. You can start by providing your experience and perspective in our Community Walk, Bike Survey.

Whether it’s being on the Project Team, volunteering once in a while, or just staying up to date and passing the word on, please get involved by signing up today. We will see out there soon!