TAYLOR – The Downriver Community Conference and the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber will hold a “Reopening Downriver” ribbon cutting at the Sheridan Center Open Air Pavilion in Heritage Park at 4 p.m. July 1.
The event will include remarks from elected and business leaders, along with radio personality and host of Spotlight Media Studios’ “Michigan’s Big Show,” Michael Patrick Shiels.
The two organizations have partnered in the #SupportDownriver campaign, encompassing the vision of working together in “elevating our region.” The campaign, founded in positive messaging and promotion of local businesses, has become more and more important in 2020 due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. As one united region, the effort promotes saving lives, businesses and jobs.
“It is going to take our entire community coming together to save businesses and jobs by shopping small and local,” SWCRC President and CEO Ronald J. Hinrichs said. “We are calling on all residents and business owners to support local Downriver entrepreneurs with positive messaging on social media, with numerous posts tagging local businesses.
“This results in complimentary, beneficial and effective marketing for our local job providers, allowing the people of our region to influence positive change and to have a real and lasting impact on our entire community.”
DCC Executive Director Jim Perry takes those thoughts a step further.
“We are standing with our local communities to strongly advocate for federal financial support for local municipalities, who provide critical everyday resources for our residents and business community, and have been significantly impacted as a result of the pandemic,” he said. “We hope to see this type of support in the Phase 4 bill soon.”
Hinrichs points to the cities of Taylor, Trenton and Wyandotte, as examples of municipalities that have eased restrictions that could assist in boosting the local economy to save businesses and jobs. Taylor, for instance, has streamlined outdoor business expansion requirements through an emergency ordinance, and is also focusing on issues like small business restart grants and collaborative purchases of personal protection equipment.
Hinrichs urges local, state and federal leadership to provide additional grant funding for businesses seeking personal protective equipment and other operational needs during the current pandemic. The MIOSHA Workplace Improvement to Safety and Health Grant Program, for example, provides up to a $5,000 matching grant, though many small businesses may not be able to meet the match requirement.
The crowd at the ribbon-cutting will be limited in number to abide by current executive orders and is by invitation only. Any attendee should practice social distancing and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state guidelines.
The pavilion is at 1211 Pardee Road. Free parking is available directly in front of the pavilion.
To learn more about the campaign, including downloadable letters, social media banners and flyers, go to https://www.swcrc.com/SupportDownriver.