b'the water, which became part of our everyday life. Our family learned a great deal of respect for the water, wind, and ice, which has a direct connection to all of us. Mother Nature can be very unforgiving, as she has been to many sailors, but I love the ways that our ferry business challenges us to continually adapt and grow.Curt says it has truly been a family endeavor since the beginning with many family members serving in various ways from deckhands to bookkeeping and everything in between. One of his favorite parts of the job is getting to witness incredible sunrises and sunsets on the water.Curts father Raymond ran the business and was boat captain for 39 years. When Raymond passed away in February of 2016, his love and passion for the familys maritime work continued.Rightaway,thePlauntsknewtheywantedtofinda way to honor Raymond and inspire and help others on their path to a maritime career. They wanted a permanent way to memorialize the larger-than-life legacy of this man who had given safe passage across the Lake to so many passengers; and had been a loving and supportive patriarch for his family. The Plaunts connected with the Straits Area Community Foundation (SACF) and quickly established the Raymond A. PlauntMaritimeMemorialScholarship.Thefundspecificallysupports students who are studying and pursuing a career in the maritime industry.The driving force behind this scholarship is keeping Raymonds legacy alive, says Curt. He and his sisters, Char and Leanna, make annual contributions and work on ways to build the fund. Sustaining the scholarship and helping as many people as possible allows us to continue to share his story and honor him and his maritime career.Curt adds that the family has thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with the Community Foundation and they love getting to know some of the scholarship recipients, being involved in their educational experiences, and staying updated on their progress. He says it is another way they honor their family tradition.While funds established at the Community Foundation grow through investment income, the Plaunt Family is committed to ensuring that the scholarship in Raymonds name not onlygrows,butthrives.Theyholdfundraisersatsignificanttimes like Raymonds 100th birthday or milestones for PlauntBackground: The sun sets in Cheboygan, Transportation. As a family and business, they have alsotaken from the helm of the Kristen D; Top committed to annual contributions in Raymonds memoryright: Raymond, Curt andJason Plaunt; to help build the fund. All of these efforts have led to theBottom right: Raymond Plaunt and his fund growing to over $133,000 in assets at the time of thischildren (l to r) Char, Curt and Leanna.publication. So far, the scholarship has awarded over $13,000 to three students studying in the maritime academy.Passion with a Purpose 7'