More than 11,000 items were donated during the Department of Tourism's recent "Big Bundle Up" campaign. including items from the Rhinelander, Tomahawk, Minocqua and St. Germain Chambers of Commerce.
Tourism spokesperson Danielle Johnson says the campaign came about after a Wisconsin Tourism promotion made the state look like a mitten. Michigan's Tourism Department was annoyed, saying Michigan looks more like a mitten than Wisconsin. Both states agreed to resolve the dispute by gathering warm clothes for the needy.
Johnson says this year's effort was a success...
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"....we had more than 11,000 items donated across the state. We had more than 75 tourism organizations across the state that participated. These are convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, that opened their doors to serve as collection sites. Residents and visitors alike really showed their generosity this winter season..."
The Chambers of Commerce from Rhinelander, Minocqua, Tomahawk and St. Germain all collected warm winter clothes for the needy. Johnson says a number of groups got together and knitted scarves and mittens, including the Wausau Knitting group that made more than 50 stocking caps.
