EP#143: Hunter Hospitality House with Tracy Willard

Tracy Willard shares the touching story behind Hunter Hospitality House, which provides free lodging to people with hospitalized loved ones or those receiving medical treatment. Founded in memory of their premature son who lived just 16 days, Tracy and her husband have opened three homes near Port Huron hospitals, each launched on what would have been Hunter's birthday.

• Three fully-stocked homes located across from both hospitals in Port Huron
• Everything provided completely free regardless of length of stay
• Transportation services included for guests
• Founded in 2011 after Tracy experienced firsthand the exhaustion of commuting to visit her hospitalized newborn
• Annual "Hope Blooms" fundraiser happening April 24th at Blue Water Convention Center
• Various sponsorship levels available for businesses and families (starting at $50)
• Tickets selling quickly with attendance capped at 700

For more information about Hunter Hospitality House or to purchase tickets for the Hope Blooms event, visit HunterHospitalityHouse.com, call 810-824-3679, or email [e-mail].

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Lisa Swiftney.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Hi everyone and welcome to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
This is episode number 143.
And with me today I have TracyWillard and she is with Hunter
Hospitality House.
How are you doing today, tracy?

Speaker 3 (00:27):
I'm great.
How are you?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
I'm doing really well .
Thank you so much for being aguest today.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
My pleasure.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
So tell our listeners what is Hunter Hospitality
House.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Well, hunter Hospitality House is an
organization my husband and Ico-founded in 2011.
And our organization has threehomes now conveniently located
across from both hospitals inFort Huron, and people can stay
in the homes if they have ahospitalized loved one or

(01:04):
treatment of their own forcancer, or even the night before
a surgery or procedure.
Everything is free, it's fullystocked and there's just nothing
you would need when you'rethere, and we provide
transportation as well.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
That is amazing, and I was lucky to have a tour last
week, so that was really fun.
Tell our listeners about yourjourney.
How did you get started?
Why did you create HunterHospitality House?

Speaker 3 (01:36):
Well, it's actually called Hunter Hospitality House
in memory of our second son.
We had four boys in five yearsand the second of those sons was
born prematurely in 1991, andhe lived just 16 days.

(02:00):
So I had that experience ofbeing released from the hospital
before he was and driving backand forth to see him and feed
him, and I lived right in town.
But the distance didn't reallymatter, because when you're
exhausted and emotional and youhit the road, you might as well

(02:22):
be drinking because you are notsafe for yourself or others.
And following his passing, wejust really wanted to
memorialize his life in some waythat would help others who were
going through a similarsituation.

(02:43):
So that first house across fromPort Huron Hospital, which is
now McClare in Port Huron,opened on what would have been
Hunter's 20th birthday in 2011.
And then, two years later, weopened the second, also on his
birthday, and in 2020, we openedthe third location, also on his

(03:09):
birthday.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
Wow, so tell us a little bit more about your
organization.
I know that you have an eventcoming up.

Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yes, so Hunter Hospitality House exists solely
on donations, and we nevercharge a guest.
No matter how long your stay isor what your circumstances are,
everything is provided to youfor free.
But, of course, we have threehomes and our own bills, and so
we have an event each yearcalled Hope Blooms, because,

(03:52):
really, hope Blooms for theguests who stay at Hunter
Hospitality House in hopelesssituations.
They come to us and find thatwe're there welcoming them and
helping them out, that we'rethere welcoming them and helping
them out.
So it's a fundraiser banquet atthe Blue Water Convention
Center on April 24th, andthere's an optional early entry

(04:16):
time at 4.30, but you can justcome at the dinner time, which
is 5.30, and stay.
Stay till the end of 730.
So it's a really shortfundraiser.
You do have to have tickets inadvance, though, and there are
sponsorship opportunities, andthat big fundraiser is really

(04:38):
imperative for us to be able tokeep our services free.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
That is good.
You said there are sponsorshipsavailable.
What are you looking for, orwho are you looking for, for
sponsors available?

Speaker 3 (04:50):
what are you looking for, or who are you looking for,
for sponsors?
Well, we would love to partnerwith businesses and families who
would like to give us asponsorship, and that is a
special donation above andbeyond the price of a ticket.
And with those sponsorships youget increasing amounts of

(05:13):
publicity.
So they go as low as the rafflesponsorship at $50, which would
have your business name on araffle prize, and as high as the
diamond level at $2,500, whichwould have your business name on
a radio ad.

Speaker 2 (05:26):
Oh wow, that is great too.
So lots of opportunities forbusinesses to sponsor your event
, your event you said it'scoming up at the end of April.
Ticket sales Did you guys sellout last year?

Speaker 3 (05:51):
the ticket sales are even more brisk and we want to
cut it off at 700 so thatthere's still lots of room to
walk around in that big room atthe convention center.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
So hurry hurry, yes, hurry up, get your ticket.
Contact you.
So our listeners want to learnmore, so how can they contact
you and get the informationabout the event?
Get the information aboutsponsoring and then information
about your organization.

Speaker 3 (06:17):
Well, I would encourage them to go to
HunterHospitalityHousecom.
Our website is prettycomprehensive, and at the top of
that website you'll find a HopeBlooms button and you click on
that and that gives you a linkto buy your tickets or to
purchase a sponsorship.
You can always call us.

(06:40):
Our phone number is810-824-3679, and we will
definitely help you out ineither purchasing your tickets
or answering questions aboutHunter Hospitality House.
Email is a great way to get ahold of me too, and our email

(07:01):
address ishunterhospitalityhouseatgmailcom
.

Speaker 2 (07:06):
Those are great ways to contact you.
I want to thank you for takinga few minutes of your time today
telling us about yourorganization, telling us how we
can help, and really excitedabout your upcoming event.

Speaker 3 (07:23):
Thanks so much for having me.
What fun.

Speaker 1 (07:51):
What fun, 888-9640.