MOUNT MORRIS, Ill. — On Thursday, May 13th, the owner of the White Pines Resort in Mt. Morris, Illinois, posted a heartfelt goodbye to her business after announcing its permanent.
Elizabeth George has ran the resort for 31 years, but has been forced by circumstance to close the business and file for bankruptcy after the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
White Pines provided an event space, log cabins, and a lodge restaurant, but with the bulk of these events cancelled or recommended against, the resort hasn't been able to make ends meet, and doesn't look to be able to in the near future.
George says that because the business's income is largely based on events with larges volumes of people, limits on group gathering that exist in the phased reopening plan, which is currently set to be 50 people until a vaccine or treatment has been developed, would still keep White Pines closed as other places open back up.
The resort is holding a going out of business Gift Shop sale from May 18th through May 20th. George is asking customer to make some purchases to help pay back the brides who had made wedding plans at the resort.
She also asks people to support other getaway resorts and event centers in the area, like Pine Creek Escape and the Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center.