Tom Gores

Tom Gores is an American billionaire with Michigan roots. He has homes in Beverly Hills, California and Gross Ille, Michigan. Tom Gores is a Michigan Light because on June 1, 2011, he purchased the Detroit Pistons, and he is making their improvement a priority.

College: Tom Gores graduated from Michigan State University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management (Source).

Detroit Pistons: On June 1, 2011, Tom Gores became the new owner of the Detroit Pistons, a franchise in the National Basketball Association. On July 11, 2012 it was announced that Tom Gores and his company Palace Sports and Entertainment are investing $13-$15 million in upgrading the Palace of Auborn Hills, the home where the Pistons play as well as the venue for many popular concerts in Southeast Michigan (Source).

Here is a news video of Tom Gores relishing the opportunity to be an "impactful" owner who works with the community toward the success of the Detroit Pistons.




Wikipedia: You can find more information on Tom Gores at his Wikipedia Page.

Philanthropy: Tom Gores has donated to many charities, including in Michigan he and his brother Alec donated $250,000 to Genesee High School in honor of Tom and Julia Joubran's 50th wedding anniversary in 2002 (Source).
Special thanks to Tom Gores for his help in making Michigan and the Detroit Pistons the best they can be. We look forward to hearing great things in the future from this businessman and Michigan Light.  

Michigan Light honors diverse heroes who are light in the state of Michigan.

Megabus

Megabus is adding a Michigan route with service between Detroit and Chicago with stops in East Lansing and Grand Rapids. Previously Megabus only had Michigan service in Detroit and Ann Arbor through to Ohio. Megabus is a Michigan Light because of how this new route will help open up more travel options for people in Michigan at an affordable price.

Megabus will be offering travel options 3 times a day in each stop on this Detroit-Chicago route. Fairs start at $1.00 and must be purchased on the Internet.  I went on the Megabus website and researched fares and to go round trip from East Lansing to Chicago in less than a week's advance purchase time the cost is $15.00. The fewer tickets sold on a route the lower the price.

The Megabus website says, "Our luxury single and double deckers offer free wi-fi, at-seat plug ins, panoramic windows and a green alternative way to travel (Source)."  For information on Megabus' expansion in Michigan read this article at MLive.com.

Social Media:  You can follow @Megabus on Twitter. 

Michigan Light honors diverse heroes who are light in the state of Michigan.

Hudsonville Ice Cream

Hudsonville Creamery and Ice Cream Company (Hudsonville Ice Cream) is located in Holland, Michigan in Ottawa County. The Hudsonville Creamery company started in 1895 in Hudsonville, Michigan and began making their now famous ice cream in 1926.  Their slogan is The Coolest Taste to Share. Hudsonville Ice Cream is a Michigan Light because they have made it a priority to use local Michigan ingredients to offer a delicious product to Michigan citizens.  They are a cool tradition in and for Michigan.

Hudsonville Ice Cream offers both permanent and seasonal ice cream flavors. Their ice cream is distributed exclusively to all parts of the State of Michigan and to select parts of nearby Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. Several of Hudsonville Ice Cream's flavors are inspired by Michigan places or traditions like Grand Travers Bay Cherry Fudge, Mackinac Island Fudge, Michigan Deer Traxx, Sleeping Bear Dunes Bear Hug, Pure Michigan Carmel Apple, and Tiger Traxx (named after the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball Team). New flavors are regularly created and in April, 2012 the company announced the creation of 5 new flavors (Source). 

Hudsonville Ice Cream made a commitment to stay in West Michigan in 2009 when they did significant expansion of their plant operations in the midst of tough economic conditions in the state. Here is a video about the expansion and some new flavors that were introduced in 2009.




The history of Hudsonville Ice Cream can be found under an Our Story section of their website. Their official website is at www.hudsonvilleicecream.com. Here is a video presentation on the workings of Hudsonville Ice Cream.



Social Media: You can follow Hudsonville Ice Cream at the following social media pages.

• Facebook Page
• Twitter @Hudsonville_IC

Special thanks to Hudsonville Ice Cream for being a Michigan Light. Remember as you take time to enjoy their cool ice cream in the hot Summer weather, Hudsonville Ice Cream gives you the taste of a dairy product made in Michigan.

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Michigan Light honors diverse heroes who are light in the state of Michigan.

Photo: The photo in this post was taken by Alan Stokes from a real Hudsonville Ice Cream product found in his freezer.

Bob Hoffman

Bob Hoffman is the Public Relations Director for the Wharton Center in East Lansing, Michigan and is also a motivational speaker. Bob Hoffman started a movement called ePIFanyNow.org in 2009 in order to spread kindness, after he was rudely cut off by another driver on a Michigan roadway. Bob Hoffman is a Michigan Light because of how ePIFanyNow has been the catalyst for spreading good to people in Michigan.

You can get to know Bob Hoffman better through his website at http://www.bobhoffman.org/. Bob Hoffman describes himself this way on his website:

I have a quote in my office that reads “How you spend your days is how you spend your life.” I remind myself to spend my days smelling the flowers, listening to great music and singing along, reading by the fire, enjoying my family and friends, belly laughing, having a good cry, letting go of the negative, reading positive quotes, going to the movies, visiting with the elderly who can teach me so much… (Source)

Here is the video of a CBS Evening News Story on Bob Hoffman's work at ePIFanyNow.



According to the group's Twitter page ePIFanyNow works like this: "We gather large groups of people together and ask them to go out into the community to do random acts of kindness. Then, we gather to share our stories (Source)!"

ePIFanyNow has biannual events where participants are encouraged to spread random act of kindness. The events started in the Greater Lansing, Michigan area and have expanded to other areas of Michigan. Bob Hoffman's dream is for the concept to catch on across the United States.

Events: ePIFanyNow will have an event on Sunday, August 19, 2012 from 2:00-6:00 at Bud Kouts Chevrolet located at 2801 E. Michigan Avenue, Lansing, Michigan (Source).

Social Media:  You can follow Bob Hoffman's work at ePIFanyNow.org at the following social media.

• Facebook
• https://twitter.com/#!/ePIFanyNow
• https://twitter.com/#!/bobhoffman123
• LinkedIn

Special thanks to Bob Hoffman for passing kindness forward.  His positive attitude and leadership in this helpful movement called ePIFanyNow is a bright light for Michigan.  For additional information about ePIFanyNow, contact Bob Hoffman at 517-230-8807 or info@epifanynow.org or visit: http://www.epifanynow.org/.

Michigan Light honors diverse heroes who are light in the state of Michigan.