Frankenmuth

magic answers. Everyone was on an even playing field of uncertainty with many paths to choose from. We are excited to now be on a path of recovery together. If you take a look around the state and nation, you'll notice many shuttered business that were lost in the pandemic. While we'd be naive to think Frankenmuth is immune to that type of loss, we've been pleasantly surprised that we haven't had more businesses close permanently. We are confident that there is still great demand to visit our wonderful city. The crowds for the limited Snowfest were positively unexpected and overwhelming. Based on our website traffic and calls of interest, we are convinced that barring any additional setbacks, 2021 will be a great year for Frankenmuth. There is still much work to be done as things continue to evolve and we prepare to safely host visitors in new and safer ways. Nevertheless, we are excited to have the Fun come back to life in "Fun Town." –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– What was your biggest worry during the pandemic in 2020? "My biggest worry was my employees and how they where going to make it through the pandemic." – G Grossi What positive things did your business learn or do because of the pandemic that will continue to help you into the future? "During 2020, I sent over 500 letters to our team members every other week which I was told they shared with their family. I included pandemic updates on our business, words of inspiration, personal stories, and ended each one with my cell phone to contact me directly if they needed help. 23 letters were sent out and I received a lot of positive feedback from them." – Judy Zehnder I went almost fifteen years of my life without knowing I had scoliosis. I always had back discomfort, but I never really thought anything of it. It wasn't until I got a physical to participate in sideline cheer during my sophomore year that somebody noticed something odd about my back. I still didn't worry about it, so I continued on for two more years. At that point, I wanted answers to my ongoing questions: "Why does my back hurt so bad?" "How come I kind of look hunched over?" "Is it just the way I'm sitting?" I didn't like the way I looked, and I definitely didn't like the way my back hurt so much at such a young age. My family and I went to Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor because we were familiar with the doctors there, as that's where my brother with special needs was helped all of his life; we knew that the staff there was the best of the best. Last summer, we started planning my surgery and on December 18, 2020, I had it. The recovery process was difficult, very painful, and even a little depressing. I hated not being able to do anything for myself, even the simplest tasks like putting on a pair of socks was challenging and required help. After missing a month of school to recover, I finally came back on February 1, 2021. My first assignment in art class was a "painting of choice," which allowed me the freedom to decide what I painted. Naturally, I was inspired by my back. I chose the quote "Bent Not Broken" to remind myself that I am not broken, and that I am overcoming obstacles to get better every day. I am so thankful for all of the help and support I have received from friends and family. I'm not fully recovered yet, but I will be there soon! Bent, Not Broken B Y M A R I A H A V E R I L L Watch our newest inspirational video, "Waiting (It's Time to Go)" Scan the QR Code with your phone's camera app to view now. 17

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