La Porte County residents have a lot of excitement in store for the rest of this week. Visit Michigan City LaPorte’s 15th Annual XINSURANCE Great Lakes Grand Prix will be the main event this weekend.
As a way of celebrating the occasion, a meet and greet party was held for all the boat racers on Tuesday, July 30. Mark Kazmucha, President of Phi Delta Kappa, discusses how grateful they are to host this party and what it means for the local racers.
“We’ve invited the racers to come down here in conjunction with the La Porte County Visitors Bureau to welcome them to Michigan City,” Kazmucha said. “Some members have become friends with the race teams over the years. There’s a lot of big race fans in this area and it’s always a great event.”
There are plenty of activities lined up through Sunday. Kazmucha touches on some of the festivities he believes are highly anticipated for race week.
“I’m looking forward to Thursday the most,” Kazmucha said. “That’s when we have our VIP night and the golf outing which is always a blast. A lot of people are looking forward to the boats this weekend too.”
Hosting this meet and greet party allows them to not only create a thrilling prelude celebration but also learn more about what to expect at the venue.
“This is a great opportunity for us and the entire community,” Kazmucha said. “Many people have heard of us but don’t know where we’re at. We get a chance to show people everything that we do in the community.”
Steve LaPinta is no stranger to this event. He always soaks in the opportunity to make new friends and meet new faces.
“This event is all about having fun and meeting new people,” LaPinta said. “We’ve been in Michigan City for the past few years, and I’ve been here many years as a racer. Everybody is friendly and it’s a good place overall.”
Many different racers came out to the party. LaPinta came to represent Logan’s Heroes. He was joined by Chris Glasko, mother of Logan Glasko, to show off what Logan’s Heroes is all about and what makes this week so special for them.
“We race for congenital heart defects and Down Syndrome Awareness,” Chris Glasko said. “Logan has had three heart surgeries so we really want to spread awareness. We give a free T-shirt and sunglasses to every kid who is walking in the pits.”
Having won the national championship last year with the same boat, Logan Glasko is looking forward to taking it on the water again this weekend.
“The boat is perfect,” Logan Glasko said. “We race with it often and it’s a smooth ride. It also goes pretty fast.”
With everyone ready to tackle the boat race this weekend, Kazmucha can’t wait to see the turnout for the other events as well.
“It’s going to be a very action-packed week,” Kazmucha said. “A lot of the people down here call this venue the hidden gem of Michigan City. I’m looking forward to it.”
For more information on the event, visit michigancitylaporte.com.
