More than 100 cleanup projects are part of 250 events citywide
The 9th annual ARISE Detroit! Neighborhoods Day on Saturday, August 1 will be the biggest in the history of the event. More than 250 churches, community groups, block clubs and businesses have signed on to participate in this annual citywide display of work and pride.
This is the third straight year that Neighborhoods Day registrations have topped the 200 mark. “It says a lot about the spirit of the people in our neighborhoods,” said Luther Keith, executive director of ARISE Detroit! “The growth in registrations, as well as the strong sponsorship support from businesses, foundations and volunteers, is a clear sign that more people are recognizing that creating vibrant neighborhoods is essential for Detroit’s comeback.”
This year’s Neighborhoods Day will feature festivals, educational activities, cleanup projects, garden planting, parades, health fairs, back-to-school events, and many other volunteer initiatives. More than 50 churches and faith-based institutions will participate, and local businesses will join hands with city residents and suburbanites.
“Neighborhoods Day is changing Detroit from the ground up,” said Beverly Kindle-Walker of Friends of Detroit City Airport, one of the Neighborhoods Day participating organizations.
The Neighborhoods Day activities will take place in every zip code throughout the city, stretching from the Detroit Riverfront to Eight Mile Road. Additionally, related events will be held in late July and throughout August by groups that want to be connected to Neighborhoods Day.
“It is the spirit of Neighborhoods Day, not necessarily the day itself, which is really important,” Keith said. “All of the events — those on Neighborhoods Day and throughout the month — are connected with a common goal of creating a better Detroit.”
For the second year in a row, Detroit Future City (DFC) is the title sponsor of Neighborhoods Day, and it’s joined by a record number of more than 30 major sponsors. Through a partnership with AAA Hardware Stores, DFC is funding vouchers for more than 100 organizations to purchase supplies for their Neighborhoods Day beautification and cleanup projects.
“Detroit Future City is proud to once again support ARISE Detroit! Neighborhoods Day, an amazing event that demonstrates how collaboration is paramount to enhancing the city,” said Dan Kinkead, interim director of the DFC Implementation Office. “Part of the DFC Implementation Office’s mission is to empower Detroiters to engage in the city’s transformation, and this event is another shining example of putting that sentiment into action.”
Corporate volunteers will also play a big role on Neighborhoods Day by adopting a number of schools for beautification projects. This year’s participants are from Meijer, FCA, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, PNC Bank, City Year Detroit, Wisdom Lodge No. 57, and the Wayne County Executive’s Office. Corporations and community organizations interested in adopting schools should contact ARISE Detroit! at 313-921-1955.
Additional Neighborhoods Day highlights include:
- More than 100 cleanup and beautification projects
- Gospel concerts, youth events and back-to-school fairs held by churches and faith-based institutions
- Various youth sports tournaments and exhibitions, including 1,000 boys and girls playing baseball and softball in the Detroit Tigers Hometown Championship and 20 youngsters from Harlem, N.Y. taking on Detroit youth in a golf tournament sponsored by the Hollywood Golf Institute
- Back-to-school events, including the collection and distribution of thousands of backpacks filled with school supplies
- Community festivals and concerts, including the Gratiot Splash on the lower east side with the Mosaic Youth Theatre and presentations by civic leaders, along with the Bringing in Change Festival on the northeast side and Jazz on the Ave on Livernois between McNichols and Eight Mile
- Art exhibits, including the Sidewalk Performing Arts Festival at the Artist Village in northwest Detroit with more than 30 street performers and specially-designed artistic doors created by DMJ Studios, plus the Grandmont Community Association’s 42nd annual Arts & Crafts Fair featuring over 50
Groups and individuals can volunteer for Neighborhoods Day by going online to: www.arisedetroit.org and clicking on the event list. Contact the groups that are seeking volunteers. The list of projects also can be found at: www.seeddetroit.org.
2015 Neighborhoods Day Major Sponsors
Detroit Future City (Title Sponsor), Impact Detroit, Quicken Loans, Knight Foundation, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, DTE Energy Foundation, Meijer, Comerica Bank, Talmer Bank, United Way for Southeastern Michigan, Erb Family Foundation, The Skillman Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, PNC Bank, Comerica Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Henry Ford Health System, United Health Care, MHSDA, LISC, MGM Grand Detroit, St. John Providence, Starr Commonwealth, DMC Sinai Grace, Comcast, Waste Management of Michigan, The Samaritan Center, Greeningdetroit.com, WXYZ -TV, Michigan Chronicle, WADL, Radio One, WWJ, Clear Channel, Rippling Hope, Focus: HOPE, Evangelical Lutheran Church In America, Seed Detroit, FCA, and CVS/Caremark. Additional supporters include Hermanoff Public Relations and Black Family Development, Inc.
About ARISE Detroit!
Established in 2006, ARISE Detroit! is a community mobilization coalition of more than 400 community groups, churches, block clubs and businesses promoting volunteerism, community activism and positive media images to create a better Detroit. Since 2007, ARISE Detroit! has marketed more than 1,200 events held in connection with its annual Neighborhoods Day. For more information, visit www.arisedetroit.org or call 313-921-1955. ARISE Detroit! is located at 5555 Conner, Suite 1233, Detroit, Michigan 48213.
