The coronavirus pandemic has brought loss, disruption, and dramatic change, but it also has inspired many Michigan students to find unique ways to help make a difference in the lives of others.
Two high school students, who bonded over a love of the Great Lakes Region and freighters, wanted to show crew members aboard those fleets that their essential work was appreciated by creating Christmas care packages.
“Sailors are really important for the economy, but I don’t think people always show an appreciation or recognize them for their importance to our normal lives,” said Brendan Falkowski, 17, who lives in the Lansing area and attends Bath High School.
“The sailors are really the backbone of our economy, not just here in Michigan but across the entire country,’’ Falkowski said. “The automobile industry, the manufacturing industry, they all rely on these ships and sailors to get their materials.”
Falkowski and 16-year-old Brock Johnson of Grand Rapids have partnered to launch a fundraising project to create the Christmas care packages for sailors on the Great Lakes.
“We were thinking this would be something that’s just a nice gesture to show them that they’re appreciated for all the work they do,” said Johnson, who attends Northview High School.
Falkowski and Johnson are partnering with Grand River Navigation, Interlake Steamship Company, Lower Lakes Towing, Port City Marine Services and VanEnkevort Tug & Barge. Two other companies, J. W. Westcott and Soo Marine Supply have offered to deliver the care packages for free.
The care packages themselves aren’t going to be much, Johnson said – they’ll be filled with small treats such as hot chocolate, granola bars and healthy snacks for the sailors.
But what the project is really about, Falkowski said, is making sure the sailors know someone is thinking about them while they’re away from home during the holidays.
“We just want the care packages to help boost morale right now,” he said. “They’ve been away from their families for so long, so we just want to show them they’re cared for.”
Since launching the project in October, the two teens have raised around $700, with a goal of about $1,100 to fund packages for more than 550 sailors on 29 ships by the end of the year, Falkowski said.
When Lori Brumfiel first received an email about the project, she was shocked that two high schoolers wanted to collaborate with VanEnkevort Tug & Barge, an Escanabe shipping company – but she said she was “completely onboard” with their idea.
“It’s really remarkable that Brendan and Brock, two high schoolers, have taken the initiative to start a fundraiser for care packages for sailors on the Great Lakes,” she said in a prepared statement. “All care packages, no matter the size, I’m positive will bring joy to our crewmembers during the holidays.”
Merchant mariners are nearing the end of a “long and challenging” shipping season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said Mark Barker, president of The Interlake Steamship Company, a family-owned Great Lakes shipping company based in Middleburg Heights, Ohio.
He said the pandemic has been tough on sailors, who have taken reduced vacation schedules and shore leave this year to mitigate spread of COVID-19 – meaning longer time onboard their ships and away from family.
“While the holidays are one of the toughest times for our sailors, it’s even harder for many to be away from home this year because of the uncertainty associated with the pandemic,” Barker said in a prepared statement to MLive.
“That’s what makes this act of kindness by both young men so commendable. We thank them for remembering all the dedicated men and women working hard to move essential cargoes on the Great Lakes.”
The teens have always had a passion for the Great Lakes. Johnson wants to pursue a career on the Great Lakes, while Falkowski dreams of going into naval architecture.
Falkowski runs a digital newsletter called Shipwatcher News, which shares news within the Great Lakes shipping industry.
Living across the state from one another, the two teens first connected online about a year ago after they were introduced by a mutual friend, Johnson said.
They eventually met in person after a few months of emailing back and forth and have since worked together on a number of projects related to the Great Lakes.
With the holiday season on his mind, Falkowski reached out to Johnson in early November to see if the two teens could support regional sailors in some way amid the coronavirus crisis.
“I was thinking about how they have to be away from home for months at a time, and how we should give them something for making their sacrifices – just something to try and help boost morale right now,” Falkowski recalled.
Johnson immediately jumped on board with the idea, and the two began reaching out to shipping companies around the Great Lakes.
Falkowski said he hopes to partner with more companies next year and to continue the project even after the coronavirus pandemic.
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