Bay City at 150 Winner

Taylor Langstaff was the only person to enter Bay City's 150th anniversary contest and, with the odds in his favor, was the grand prize winner, taking home a prize package of nearly $2,000. 

(Andrew Dodson | The Bay City Times)

BAY CITY, MI -- Remember that contest Bay City kicked off back in June to celebrate its 150th anniversary, where if you attended and stamped off 25 activities in the city, you could win a grand prize worth $1,500? 

Not many people do. 

In fact, only one person did. 

And that prize package?  It ended up being worth nearly $2,000, chock-filled with donated restaurant gift certificates, a yearlong membership to the Bay Area Family Y, Bay City-branded T-shirts and more. 

So, congratulations are in order for Taylor Langstaff, a Bay City native who volunteers at the Bay County Historical Museum.  Langstaff was the only person to submit a fully-stamped passport after participating in a number of events and activities, including taking in a show at The State Theatre, enjoying a beer at Tri-City Brewing Co., and most recently, enjoy a holiday tour of homes in Bay City's Historic District. 

"I love Bay City so much that this was pretty easy," Langstaff said. " I met a lot of people, was able to go to a lot of neat events, take in some great shows -- this contest really showed what this city has to offer." 

The contest was designed to celebrate Bay City's 150th anniversary, also known as its sesquicentennial.  Residents received the passport and contest guidelines in their utility bill beginning in late May.

The Times published a six-part series, looking at Bay City's rich history that dates back to 1865. 

Taylor Langstaff is going home a big winner as the only person to enter into the city's 150th anniversay passport contest.  His nearly $2,000 prize package includes a yearlong membership to the Bay Area Family Y, Bay City T-shirts and several restaurant and shop giftcards. 

Some of the bigger prizes Langstaff is taking home includes $100 restaurant gift cards to Old City Hall and the Real Seafood Co., two season passes to the Bay City Players, a four-person pass to sail aboard the Appledore IV tall ship and a daily admission and passport for the 2016 Tall Ship Celebration.  He also received a number of historical books from the museum. 

There were prizes designated for the second through 10th place winners, but because Langstaff was the only person to enter, he reaped the total prize package. 

Deputy City Manager Dana Muscott said the city mailed out information on the passport contest early in order to let residents stamp off their 25 activities throughout the summer.  The long waiting period, she said, may have caused some people to forget to enter the contest. 

"If anything, people still got a great book showcasing everything you can do in Bay City," Muscott said. " I actually had people from outside of town contacting me for a book to have some kind of guide to all of the activities." 

In his journey to stamp off his 25 activities, Langstaff discovered a new activity that wasn't published in the passport contest: the weekly coordinated bike rides by B.A.R.S. -- Bicycling Awesome Riding Society -- of Bay City.  The group, which is taking a hiatus during the winter, attracted hundreds of bicyclists for its weekly 10-15 mile rides that start in downtown Bay City. 

"I think it's a great way to see the city and I really enjoyed it," he said. 

Langstaff joked he may not be cooking in his kitchen for the foreseeable future as he works through his bevy of restaurant gift cards. 

"It's a good thing Bay City has so many great restaurants," he said. 

He added he might have to try his luck in Wednesday's Powerball lottery, where the jackpot has hit $450 million. 

Unfortunately, his odds won't be as strong.