Marathon Petroleum is committed to supporting the community surrounding our Detroit refinery, specifically the people living in the 48217 zip code. From June to October, the refinery hosted the Fueling Detroit Event Series, four community events that included a family movie night, the Southwest Detroit Farmers Market, Back to School Blitz, and the Health and Harvest Fair. The events were held at the Kemeny Recreation Center and nearly 250 guests attended each one.
In October, organizations offered free immunizations for children, health screenings for adults, information about mental health services and overdose prevention. Attendees were able to join free workout classes held during the event. The Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL) hosted mini tutorials for soccer, cheerleading and drone programming.
“This unique event series brings the community together in multiple ways. It’s supporting local businesses, providing family resources, health services, and education materials. And it’s a lot of fun to get together with our neighbors,” said BreAnna Lockhart, Community Relations Representative with Marathon Petroleum. “I’m really excited about what we have planned for next year.”
The Back to School Blitz in September featured free school supplies for everyone who attended and free food from local restaurants Two Fat Boys & a Grill and Motown Dawg Slingers. Kids enjoyed carnival rides, music, and special guest Smiley the Clown, a Detroit legend. The refinery’s community partners, Wayne Metro, Mark Twain Elementary and Starfish Family Services, were on hand to provide resources to parents.
The refinery is scheduling events for 2022, which will include a financial literacy lunch and learn with community partner Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency (Wayne Metro), a non-profit organization serving low-and moderate-income residents throughout Wayne County.
