It was a sunny October Saturday morning when the Southwest Detroit neighborhood came together at the Kemeny Center. There was food and games, pumpkins and cookies to decorate, free haircuts and bike repair, and a whole lot of Marathon community support.
In all, more than 800 residents spent time with nearly 50 members of the Detroit Refinery team who volunteered their time for the Fall Fest celebration. Those in attendance enjoyed several actives and stations, as well as giveaways that included hoodies – which were a huge hit.
Fall Fest was an opportunity for the Detroit Refinery to engage with Southwest Detroit residents and continue to break down barriers of communications and understanding.
“Today was all about the community, as our goal for Fall Fest was to bring everyone together, engage them in family fun activities, and educate them about Marathon’s operations and community presence,” said Detroit Refinery Human Resources Consultant Cam Thoroughman. “I had many opportunities to assess the success of our goal throughout the day, and seeing so many happy, smiling parents and children participating in all of the planned activities, I’d have to say Marathon made a positive difference in their lives today.
Fall Fest comes on the heels of a successful end of summer event earlier in the year, and builds upon the ongoing efforts to strengthen ties between the Refinery and the community.