- Posted on Wednesday, June 20th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Continuing Our Commitment on the Riverfront
By Matt Cullen
General Manager, GM Economic Development & Enterprise Services
Editor’s note: You might remember a post from Matt Cullen last May talking about GM’s commitment to Detroit and the city’s riverfront, where its global headquarters inside the Renaissance Center are located. The Rivard Plaza recently opened on the RiverWalk, a sign of the continued development progress on the riverfront. Not only may visitors now enjoy a carousel and park, but plans are also underway for the International River Days on June 22, sponsored by GM. Take a look at what Matt has to say about the event and how it reinforces GM’s pride in Detroit.
This summer, more than two and a half miles of the East Riverfront RiverWalk walkway will be complete, along with bike rentals, a river carousel, and butterfly gardens as part of the first two public plazas and pavilions along the river. We’ll celebrate this achievement with a six-day festival, the first-ever Detroit International River Days festival.
The festival is going to take place along the Detroit RiverWalk between June 22-27, and we’ll top it off with the 49th annual Target Fireworks. If you’ve never seen Detroit’s fireworks, or haven’t been in a while, this would be a great year to come back for that event.
The fireworks are just one part of the celebration. GM’s “Cool Events” will provide a variety of exciting and interactive activities for festivalgoers to enjoy. For example, check out our Chevy Racing Tour. If you’re a racing fan, you won’t want to miss this. There will be opportunities to get an up-close look at vehicles, as well as a chance on June 26th to have your photograph taken with NASCAR drivers Clint Bowyer and JJ Yeley. And, for those of you who are looking to improve your golf swing, you can head over to the Buick Golf Trailer. Stop by the trailer to have it analyzed or get a virtual photo taken with Tiger Woods.
The fun doesn’t stop there. You can test your basketball skills on the festival courts, or stop by to see Duke University Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski conduct an on-court youth seminar on June 26th at the Pontiac Designed for Action Tour. Are you tired yet? We hope not, because the GMC Quarterback Challenge will give you the opportunity to see if you have what it takes to make it in the NFL. If you’re into fitness, you can also venture over to Saturn’s Health & Fitness Tour, where you can participate in running clinics conducted by the Brooks/Hanson Distance Running Project.
In addition to GM’s Cool Events, River Days has a variety of musicians lined up and family-friendly activities planned, including a carnival. I guarantee there is something for everyone during the International River Days Festival.
Make sure to keep checking the web site for more details as the festival approaches. www.detroitriverdays.com
One Comment
Rob Quinn
Matt -
I was at the new RiverWalk recently, and it’s great to see GM making such a strong commitment to the city of Detroit, and to improving the quality of the downtown area. Too many people (mainly from other areas of the country) are ready to ‘write off’ Detroit and SE Michigan. Your efforts are proving these naysayers wrong! Those of us that truly consider Detroit to be home, and care about the future of this great city, applaud all of your initiatives. Hopefully, this will encourage other businesses (Large and Small) to participate, as well. Please keep up the great work!
Rob Quinn
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