The Big Rapids Region and Mecosta County has always been known for its friendly communities offering their unique blend of small town charm and warm hospitality.

 

Connie Koepke – Executive Director for the Mecosta County Visitors Bureau is hoping to get businesses arround Mecosta County to take a pledge to help combat the spread of COVID-19 and ease customers minds.  

 

“The onset of COVID -19 these past few months has certainly changed our lives along with our daily tasks and activities,” stated Connie Koepke – Executive Director for the Mecosta County Visitors Bureau. “We are certainly in the midst of an unprecedented time that none of us expected or prepared for. As we are all transitioning to our new and changed lifestyles of social distancing, increased hand washing and sanitizer usage along with wearing face masks, Michigan is seeing improvements. As most of our businesses start to re-open, now it‘s more important than ever to collaborate with each other on bringing back our guests, visitors and local economy.”

 

According to a press release, the Mecosta County Visitors Bureau’s “Safe Business Pledge” is designed to help visitors, and locals, know what precautions our community as a whole are taking in helping keep everyone as safe as possible during this Coronavirus pandemic. It also assists area businesses in staying consistent with their safety protocols.

 

The program is quite simple to participate in. Your business reviews the standard list of safety protocols, pledges that it will follow them and then your business will receive a personalized certificate to display. All businesses making the pledge will also be listed on the Big Rapids Region Safe Business Pledge Members page with a direct link to your business.

 

The Safe Business Pledge program is not designed as a guarantee that visitors will not contract the Coronavirus, or other possible respiratory infections, but is designed to help provide a higher comfort level to everyone visiting our Big Rapids Region communities and their businesses. Knowing that we are all following unified safety measures, in an effort to help slow the spread of contagious infections, only re-enforces what a great area we are to visit and spend time with family and friends.

 

The Mecosta County Visitors Bureau will also be sharing the Safe Business Pledge, along with the businesses participating in the program, in numerous marketing venues throughout the state. This is all in an effort to help increase visitor spending to our area.

 

If you are a business that would like to participate in the free Safe Business Pledge program you can reach the Mecosta County Visitors Bureau at: assistant@bigrapids.org or information@bigrapids.org, or by calling  231.796.7640 and sign up today.

 

Safety Pledge Guidelines can be found here.

Pledge Certification Sample can be found here.

Safety Pledge Business Agreement can be found here.