by Amy Helsel
Missaukee Sentinel
LAKE CITY – Tuesday was one of the coldest days of the season so far, for Coach George Morse, it was the perfect day for a run around Lake City; a five mile run to be exact. The five mile run in Lake City came on the heels of a similar run in Houghton Lake that morning.
Michigan Business Coach George J Morse
He is on a mission to visit 200 cities and run five miles at each one, all to bring awareness to small businesses.
A lifetime resident of Michigan, Morse said he believes in Michigan and “wants to see Michigan great again.” Along the way he is meeting with small business owners offering assistance and advice.
He said he want to help them stay positive and motivated to keep going, despite the current economic conditions in Michigan. Through his runs coach Morse is also trying to bring awareness to those economic conditions.
His focus is on small businesses, which are the backbone to our towns. “I want to see small businesses succeed,” he said. “I don’t want to see any more doors close.” He went on to say that a majority of the money that comes into small businesses goes right back into their communities.
Throughout his runs, Morse is keeping a video blog of the towns he visits. In each town he meets with four or five small business owners. For those willing, he captures on video saying “we believe in Michigan.” He spends about three hours in each town taking pictures and talking with people. There is a video of each town he has visited on his website: www.thousandmilesformichigan.com.
When Morse arrived in Lake City he stopped at the Chamber of Commerce, where he met with Board members and staff. He started his run from there. As he passed in front of the school he was greeted by the elementary and high school students and staff who came out to cheer him on.
After his run in Lake City, Morse had completed 400 miles of the 1000 mile run, which he hopes to complete at the end of April in Lansing at the State Capital.
