() The average height of people in Michigan is a bit higher this week and the reason why is no tall tale.

More than 100 of some of the tallest people in the world are visiting for the annual Tall Clubs International convention. On Wednesday, they headed out to Grand Haven, Michigan, to see the sights.

“When I tell people about it, especially people that are shorter, they’re like, ‘Hey, what are you doing for the Fourth?’ I’m like, ‘Well, I’m going to the Tall Club convention.’ They’re like, ‘What? There’s a Tall Club?’ Ellen Bayer told affiliate WOOD.

She jokes that she stands 5-foot-22 or just under 6-foot-10. The convention marks one of the only weeks out of the year that she can see eye-to-eye with those around her.

“For men to join the Tall Club, they have to be 6-foot-2 and women, 5-foot-10,” Bayer explained. “It’s just a lot of fun. You just get to know people year after year. We’re like a family.”

“Usually (people) think we’re a basketball team,” laughed Norma Forrest.

The 6-foot-1 Canadian attended her first convention in 1989 and has only missed two since then.

“I was in a drug store and somebody really tall walked up to me and said, ‘You’re tall. Join the club!’ And I did, and it’s been amazing. I joined in 1986, and since then, I’ve had the chance to travel across Canada, across the states and to Europe and to meet people from all those places,” Forrest said.

Many in the club have made lifelong friends.

“I love coming here, and I’ve made a lot of friends, and we’re one just big, happy family,” said Dai Reynolds, who traveled all the way from Great Britain.

Thousands of tall people from all over the world have Kae Sumner Einfelt to thank for the connections. In 1938, Einfelt was coloring for Walt Disney Studios, creating drawings for Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” At 6-foot-4, she eventually grew tired of being teased, so she put an ad in the newspaper to start a tall people’s club.

“The Los Angeles club was the original club. There have been as many as 50 or 60 clubs across the U.S. and Canada. We’re about 33 right now,” TCI’s 6-foot-7 president Bob Huggett said.

He added that there are about 900 people in the club currently, but the numbers used to be much higher.

“People aren’t participating in clubs and stuff anymore as much as they used to,” Huggett explained.

Still, the people who are part of it say it’s one of the best decisions they have made.

“As you’re part of this club and you start coming to these conventions, you become family. So these are almost family reunions,” Huggett said.

Pat Radloff met her husband in the club. She’s 5-foot-10, and he was 6-foot-6.

“My husband and I actually went on our honeymoon to a Tall Club convention in Vail, Colorado,” Radloff recalled.

After his death, she continued to attend the conventions, even suggesting they bring it to Grand Rapids this year, where she lives.

“You have a dream and make it happen. I knew there were great places to come, Grand Haven being one of them. We planned mainly family-owned, Michigan-themed places to go: Great Lakes Glow Golf, Grand Lady riverboat, The Score with the beach theme there,” Radloff said.

But planning it is a tall order.

“We consider bus clearances, bus bathrooms, steps to places,” co-organizer Sue Morrison said. “One of the great things about Embassy Suites, if there’s any tall people watching, Embassy Suites’ showers are at 7-foot-4 in the bathroom.”

That means even the tallest person in the group can stand tall.

“I’m 7-foot-2. I’ve shrunk from 7-foot-4. I’m 64 years old,” Dave Rasmussen told Nexstar’s WOOD.

Rasmussen can’t go many places without people noticing his extremely tall stature.

“If I had a dollar for every time somebody asked me, I’d be a millionaire today,” he laughed.

As much fun as the group has together, it’s also an opportunity to share ideas about things people of average height probably never think about.

“Clothing we share notes on that. Also cars. Going to the theater, chairs. Ergonomics of chairs and stuff and flights and traveling … planes are terrible. We compare notes on all these things and try to make the most of it,” Rasmussen said.

TCI is always accepting new members. You can find more information on its website.