dwasson
06-02-2004, 09:50 AM
Dream Cruise needs a king and queen
June 2, 2004
BY BILL LAITNER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Metro Detroit's big summer showcase of classic cars now wants a pair of classic humans.
Organizers of the 10th Woodward Dream Cruise are searching for nominees to be crowned king and queen of the Aug. 21 event.
Winners will get gift certificates, backstage passes to cruise-connected concerts of 1950s and '60s stars such as Chubby Checker, invitations to be in parades -- and at least 15 minutes of fame.
While organizers are gearing up for the fun, some cruise entities are searching for something more elusive: sponsors with money.
Organizers have until June 15 to find major sponsors or cancel a fund-raising night at the Detroit Zoo.
And Berkley recently lost its Ford Motor Co. sponsorship, worth $35,000 last year, city officials said. Ford will move all of its displays to Birmingham, where it will host -- in conjunction with the Hard Rock Cafe restaurant chain -- major rock music events, a Ford spokesman said Tuesday.
Entrants for the king and queen contest have until June 24 to submit photos, Dream Cruise stories and nominating letters from friends and relatives, cruise spokeswoman Linda Ashley said Tuesday.
"We are thinking of them as being married, but if someone has a great story to tell and maybe they're boyfriend and girlfriend, we're open," Ashley said.
According to official nominating criteria, the winning couple will be chosen on the basis of "their participation in the event over the last 10 years, their love of cruising and cars, their sense of fun and cruising attitude," including their car and clothing, their stories about cruising in the past and "roots in the community" -- defined as having at least one member of the couple from one of the nine sponsor communities or having attended high school in one of the towns.
The communities are Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge, Pontiac and Royal Oak.
Winners will be chosen by a committee from Woodward Dream Cruise Inc., the nonprofit group that runs the event. Entries should be mailed to: Dream Cruise King and Queen Contest, Box 7066, Huntington Woods 48070.
Berkley has enough cash to fund this year's cruise activities, including its CruiseFest parade, the Friday nightevent that kicks off the Saturday cruise, Mayor Mark Mooney said.
Ford is moving its big display, the Mustang Drive-In, to Birmingham because the Berkley plot it occupied is to be developed as a credit union branch. The automaker will move all of its other displays to Birmingham as well, to make the city "a Ford destination," said company spokesman Miles Johnson.
June 2, 2004
BY BILL LAITNER
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Metro Detroit's big summer showcase of classic cars now wants a pair of classic humans.
Organizers of the 10th Woodward Dream Cruise are searching for nominees to be crowned king and queen of the Aug. 21 event.
Winners will get gift certificates, backstage passes to cruise-connected concerts of 1950s and '60s stars such as Chubby Checker, invitations to be in parades -- and at least 15 minutes of fame.
While organizers are gearing up for the fun, some cruise entities are searching for something more elusive: sponsors with money.
Organizers have until June 15 to find major sponsors or cancel a fund-raising night at the Detroit Zoo.
And Berkley recently lost its Ford Motor Co. sponsorship, worth $35,000 last year, city officials said. Ford will move all of its displays to Birmingham, where it will host -- in conjunction with the Hard Rock Cafe restaurant chain -- major rock music events, a Ford spokesman said Tuesday.
Entrants for the king and queen contest have until June 24 to submit photos, Dream Cruise stories and nominating letters from friends and relatives, cruise spokeswoman Linda Ashley said Tuesday.
"We are thinking of them as being married, but if someone has a great story to tell and maybe they're boyfriend and girlfriend, we're open," Ashley said.
According to official nominating criteria, the winning couple will be chosen on the basis of "their participation in the event over the last 10 years, their love of cruising and cars, their sense of fun and cruising attitude," including their car and clothing, their stories about cruising in the past and "roots in the community" -- defined as having at least one member of the couple from one of the nine sponsor communities or having attended high school in one of the towns.
The communities are Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge, Pontiac and Royal Oak.
Winners will be chosen by a committee from Woodward Dream Cruise Inc., the nonprofit group that runs the event. Entries should be mailed to: Dream Cruise King and Queen Contest, Box 7066, Huntington Woods 48070.
Berkley has enough cash to fund this year's cruise activities, including its CruiseFest parade, the Friday nightevent that kicks off the Saturday cruise, Mayor Mark Mooney said.
Ford is moving its big display, the Mustang Drive-In, to Birmingham because the Berkley plot it occupied is to be developed as a credit union branch. The automaker will move all of its other displays to Birmingham as well, to make the city "a Ford destination," said company spokesman Miles Johnson.