News Photo by Kayla Wikaryasz Alpena Institute of Massage (AIM) student Chelsea Keetch is seen giving a resident a massage at a recent community event. Part of AIM’s curriculum is to encourage students to be active in the community.

ALPENA — Alpena Institute of Massage (AIM) students have partnered with Great Lakes Great Responsibility to learn marketing skills and promote environmental stewardship.

Rose Nowak-McWilliams, owner and operator of AIM, explained that as part of her students’ curriculum, they must create a community event that they run, promote, and offer massages at. On Aug. 16, AIM students will host a Bigfoot-themed “fun run” 5K at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center where they will give massages and profits will go to Great Lakes Great Responsibility.

“It helps them to promote themselves,” Nowak-McWilliams said. “It allows them to work together as a group and it helps them to determine each individual’s strengths so that they can build a successful team and event.”

Students have to build a business plan for the event which they work on for the entire year, according to Nowak-McWilliams. Students learn how to put together an event by themselves, with guidance from Nowak-McWilliams.

“At the event, they have to promote themselves,” Nowak-McWilliams said. “They will have business cards to be able to give out to people for future contacts.”

Once students graduate from the institute and become massage therapists, Nowak-McWilliams said it is crucial for them to know how to interact with the community to build a clientele.

“It gives them that opportunity to maybe become a little bit more comfortable with it,” Nowak-McWilliams explained. “It just gives them that opportunity to be able to go out and promote themselves with confidence”.

The idea behind the 5K originated from a student’s experience planning and running 5K events. The students’ choice to partner with Great Lakes Great Responsibility came from their proximity to the Great Lakes.

“We have a student from the UP, we have a student from Cheboygan, and a student from Hillman,” Nowak-McWilliams said. “So, all of them are in different communities, so they chose the Great Lakes Great Responsibility as their nonprofit, because it affects all of those communities.”

Nowak-McWilliams explained that the concept of a Bigfoot theme came from her own affinity for the legend.

“I’m a huge fan of Bigfoot because I believe in believing. I have a tattoo that says ‘Believe’,” Nowak-McWilliams said. “It’s important that you believe in believing because if you don’t believe in believing … whether it’s God, whether it’s Bigfoot … it’s important that you believe … you believe in yourself, you believe in your community, you believe in your profession.”

Nowak-Mcwilliams said that the event is a “fun run” meaning that it isn’t timed and participants are encouraged to pick up trash as they run the course. She said that the first 100 participants will receive a reusable tote bag that they can use for collecting litter, especially in the Great Lakes region, in the future.

Meag Schwartz, founder and president of Great Lakes Great Responsibility, said that partnering with AIM is a special opportunity for the nonprofit.

“We’re just so grateful that they saw our mission … when we get to collaborate, it creates synergy and education that is mutually beneficial,” Schwartz said.

Those interested in participating can register at eventbrite.com by searching Big Foot Big Responsibility 5k Fun Run/Walk.

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.