PIGEON – State Representative Terry Brown (D-Pigeon) is urging residents from all over the Thumb and beyond
to join in a special Tribute to the Armed Forces that will be Webcast worldwide on Friday, Aug. 8, from Cheeseburger in
Caseville, one of the state's most popular and fastest-growing festivals.
"American troops all around the world can watch live online and see that there's a small town in
Michigan where at least 5,000 people are waving flags, cheering them on and sending our support and gratitude for their
service," Brown said. "Steve Louwers and the Caseville Chamber of Commerce have made the 10th anniversary of
Cheeseburger in Caseville very special with this unique Tribute to the Armed Forces."
The Tribute to the Armed Forces begins with a concert at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 8, as part of the first night of Cheeseburger in Caseville. At 7:30 p.m., the American Legion Color Guard will lead a procession of many local veterans and servicemembers to a performance of Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American" and a helicopter flyover by the Coast Guard. After more musical entertainment, there will be a 20-minute light show dedicated to our men and women in uniform who are fighting overseas. All events take place at the Caseville Amphitheater.
More than 100,000 visitors descend on the tiny town of Caseville each year during the 10-day, Caribbean-styled Cheeseburger festival, inspired by the laid-back style of Jimmy Buffett. Many of the nightly concerts are broadcast live online. Louwers, president of the Caseville Chamber of Commerce, said he got the idea for this year's military tribute after a woman came up to him last year during a show and asked if she could go onstage to say hello to her son who was stationed on the USS Enterprise in the Persian Gulf.
Louwers, a former member of the military himself, is donating 1,500 flags to hand out, but encourages people to bring their own flags and signs to make the strongest show of support possible. He and Brown are working with U.S. Senator Carl Levin's office to spread the word about the live Webcast to servicemembers around the world.
"We know from last year's Webcast that Cheeseburger in Caseville does reach folks who are far from home and away from their families, defending our freedom," Brown said. "This tribute is an amazing way for everyone to come together to show that even the smallest communities can make a giant difference."