Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Westland's Blues, Brews and BBQ Gives Back to Local Community Organizations

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 724.721.2310

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Westland's Blues, Brews and BBQ Gives Back to Local Community Organizations

Westland, MI - This year, Mayor William R. Wild is pleased to announce that the 2017 Blues, Brews and BBQ will be awarding over $10,000 to 9 local community organizations. This puts the total funds raised for community organizations at nearly $200,000 to date in the past seven years.

The checks were presented to the volunteer organizations at Monday night's City Council meeting.

"I want to thank all of our volunteers, the participating restaurants, our sponsors and the performers for another remarkable event," said Mayor Wild. "This event continues to grow and with the addition of fireworks, draws thousands of people from surrounding communities. We wouldn't be able to pull it all off without the help of our amazing civic group volunteers"

The 9 community organizations who will receive donations from the event include: the Goodfellows ($750), Lions Club ($1,000), the Westland Citivans ($2,000), Rotary ($1,500), The Westland Community Foundation ($500), Jaycees ($3,000), Grange ($750), the Westland Historical Commission ($500) and Warm Hearts ($500).

"The money awarded to the Westland Area Jaycees goes directly back to making an impact within the three cities they serve - Wayne, Garden City and Westland," commented Jaycee President, Rebecca Markonni. "From Raking leaves for seniors, to putting a Christmas gift in the hands of over 100 children that would have gone without, the Westland Area Jaycees are here to serve our community."

To receive the funds, these local organizations provided the volunteer manpower to make this year's event a great success. The volunteers these groups provided served as greeters, grounds crew, and ID checkers, among a variety of other roles in an effort to cost effectively operate the annual event.

"Being able to hand out the checks is my favorite part," commented Westland Chamber of Commerce CEO, Brookellen Swope. "I always love seeing our civic groups, and being able to hand them money instead of asking them for something is a great feeling. We are blessed in our community to have so many great organizations and volunteers. This community event would not be possible without all of these wonderful people."

Attendees were treated some of Michigan's best BBQ vendors and packed the house for Blues legends, such as The Detroit Soul Review and Thornetta Davis.

And now the countdown begins for next year's event which will take place on August 3rd and 4th in 2018.

For more information, contact Aubrey Berman, Administrative Secretary, at

734-467-3200

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Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Western Wayne Fire Association firefighters collaboratively serving the Cities of Wayne and Westland are licensed paramedics who responded to over 13,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more than 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best Schools in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

Westland's philosophy is that government should embrace good business principles. Providing oversight over the City's operating budget of $60 million dollars, Westland is the only community in Wayne County with a 3-year balanced budget and an approximately 10 percent budget surplus.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.