LAKE ORION, Mich. (WXYZ) — A water main break on Mother's Day forced businesses in Lake Orion to close their doors on one of the busiest days of the year, costing them customers and cash. Now, the community is rallying with a weeklong "Mother's Day REDO" initiative, hoping to turn those losses into a much-needed boost.
Watch Jeffrey Lindblom's video report:
The initiative is short for Retail, Experience, Dine, Orion — and it runs through June 20.
PREVIOUS STORY: Leak in 42-inch water main prompts state of emergency for Orion Township
Sharon Bosley, owner of Bitter Tom's Distillery, was among the businesses that closed to conserve water following the Auburn Hills water main break.
"It was a lose-lose for everybody around here," Bosley said.
Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Matthew Gibb said it was disappointing that businesses had to close, but said the closures ultimately benefited the village.
"Our business community stood up first. They're the ones that shut the water off first, which is what saved the water in the tower and made it so it only lasted a week," Gibb said.
Residents Tom and Judy Splawski were walking around downtown, showing the area to friends and hoping their spending would support businesses that saw days of lost sales — and stock that had to be thrown out and couldn't be salvaged.
"I hope the businesses bounce back," the Splawskis said. "We hope that supports the people around here."
Bosley said even a small increase in traffic could make a meaningful difference.
"So, we're hoping the rest of the week, we see a little bit more traffic for the Mother's Day REDO," Bosley said. "10-percent is whether you're breaking even or making money."
RELATED STORY: Lake Orion restaurants scramble to survive after water main break shuts down businesses
Gibb encouraged the community to come out and support local businesses throughout the week.
"Bring mom out for lunch on a Tuesday or Thursday, buy a gift, and buy a second gift," Gibb said. "Mom deserves it."
Kyle Hughes, who owns Amazing Petals Florist and Gifts on the same block as Bitter Tom's Distillery, said she hopes her fellow business owners can recover some of what they lost.
"For them to get even a little bit of that back would be just wonderful," Hughes said. "That's all I could think about all Mother's Day. I love that everyone wants to come back together and have this REDO. I think it's amazing."
Shoppers who share a selfie in the village on social media using the hashtag #REDOOrion will be entered for a chance to win a prize.
————————————————————————————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
