Editor's note: This column is part of a series by Lakeshore residents about their experiences living through the COVID-19 pandemic.

#MAYSADNESS. You don't know what you've got until it's gone. WHAT?! No Tulip Time?! 

We've all had moments when we’ve grumbled about the traffic, downtown chaos, and throngs of outsiders descending on our little Dutch mecca in May. But the moment it doesn't happen, and the alternative rears it's desolate head (no augmented business, no fun parades for the kids, no junk food smorgasbord, no traditional costumes), it makes you stop and think what a privilege it is to host and enjoy such a huge event. 



In the wake of the shutdown decisions around COVID-19, many businesses and organizations are feeling just how much of a loss Tulip Time business is. And the public is realizing now what they're missing most with no festival this year.

Looking on the bright side

What are you gonna do? Cry about it? Not Sonscreens in Holland. Owners Jeannine and John Ferguson have been in the T-shirt printing business for decades and … perhaps it's the ink fumes … they seem to always be upbeat and look on the bright side. And, let's face it, sometimes the rest of us NEED a bright side. 

A few years back, when Tulip Time came just a bit later than the blooms (hey … timing a festival that's based on eccentric orbital rhythms is at best a kind of voodoo), they printed up "Stem Fest" shirts. The shirts were a huge hit (selling more than 3,000) and they injected a little fun into a festival year lacking color.

But how do you celebrate "the Tulip Time that wasn't" and keep it lighthearted? Especially when people are being hit with difficult economic realities. 

Enter Chuck Van Dongen, Sonscreens journeyman screen printer. He imagined a scene with a tulip and a stem looking out at the empty streets, wondering where everyone was this year. The image seemed funny … and also poignant … and it captured a bit of the confusion we've all been experiencing throughout this time in general. And so, the TULIP TALK 2020 T-shirt was born. 

Giving back

The Sonscreens team, always community-minded, decided the shirt should be more than a way to reclaim an extra buck or two lost to the shutdown … it should be a collectors item that makes people smile, a way of remembering and sharing what each of us loves most about Tulip Time (what we're sad to be missing), and a way to give back to the community. 

I've known the Sonscreens ensemble for a long time and, because I draw cartoons, they got in touch with me to do the artwork for the shirt. They wanted bright colors and cartoon balloons and the slogan TULIP TALK 2020 … with #MAYSADNESS underneath. The hashtag is meant to be a "sigh" for the festival fun we're sad to be missing. It’s also a way to tag our collective stories and share them with each other, to let each other know the spirit of Tulip Time is alive and well, and we're looking forward to next year by looking back at our most enjoyable memories of celebrations past.

‘Strength together’

The obvious choice for community benefit would be partnering with the Tulip Time organization itself, but they were working out ways to liquidate their own inventory and didn't think adding a new item into the mix was wise at this late date. So Sonscreens decided to donate proceeds of the T-shirt sales to two excellent nonprofit organizations that exemplify the spirit of the shirt … "strength together." 
John Ferguson is the owner Sonscreens.
They are Barnabas Ministries in Zeeland, which serves high-risk youth and families. During the COVID-19 Pandemic they are providing critical support, through their Compassion Response efforts. And Blood:Water, which digs wells, teaches well maintenance, and is involved in the fight against AIDS in Africa. Both of these organizations elevate people and give them the tools to survive and thrive. They give people a future. 

Post your #MAYSADNESS

So, what have you been sad to miss at Tulip Time this year? What are the best memories you have of Tulip Times past? Post your #MAYSADNESS story with a picture of you wearing your TULIP TALK 2020 shirt anywhere on social media and make this Tulip Time memorable in a different way. 

The more people who post, the more we sell, and the more we sell, the more we raise for BarnabasMin.org and BloodWater.org. T-shirts will be available for purchase the entire month of May at guginoonline.com.

Missing the creativity

My #MAYSADNESS is not seeing the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity of all the local businesses around Tulip Time. 

Thirty years ago, as a college student, I printed shirts and sold them during the parade (thank you, Post's Jewelry and Cobblestone Crafts & Hobbies for providing a free space for my table). I soon became aware of how well some people marketed, branded, and reached out to the Tulip Time crowds. That taught me a lot. 

This is a community of people with serious ingenuity, and every year I see something new at the festival that really impresses me. So I'll miss that. And the smiling faces of my kids in the parades. And elephant ears … missing those is a BIG #MAYSADNESS!

Wade Gugino is a longtime Holland resident and owner of GooGenius (The Cartoon Company).

This article is part of The Lakeshore, a new featured section of Rapid Growth focused on West Michigan's Lakeshore region. Over the coming months, Rapid Growth will be expanding to cover the complex challenges in this community by focusing on the organizations, projects, programs, and individuals working to improve conditions and solve problems for their region. As the coverage continues, look for The Lakeshore publication, coming in 2020.