Detroit Love - Live Downtown Games + beyond

The one question I get asked most often, when I talk with family, friends, business associates and event native Detroiters isn't hard to guess: Why did you move to Detroit?

See, I'm a California kid, by way of...well...all over the place. My parents were immigrants from a place - Equatorial Guinea - that wasn't even its own country when I was born. I'm a guy who grew up in the northern  suburbs of San Francisco, spent several of his formative years in Switzerland, went to college in Washington, D.C. and who considers Barcelona a second home.

So, why Detroit?

It's pretty simple. Home is where the heart is and Detroit has the biggest heart of a city that I've experienced in America.

Now, don't get me wrong. Sometimes, that heart can lead you astray. And sometimes, depending on the circumstances, it can even be broken. But, through all of the heartache that can come with difficult times, the joy of success can make that same heart sing.

The Live Downtown Games, a germ of an idea that found its way into fruition about three months ago, is one such successful event that is making people's hearts sing at a few companies that have worked hard to help breathe some new energy into Detroit's Downtown Business District.

A year ago, five companies - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Compuware, DTE Energy, Quicken Loans and Strategic Staffing Solutions - formed an alliance that committed $1 million per company over five years, to offer financial incentives to employees to buy, rent or refurbish homes in one of five designated areas in and around the Downtown Detroit Business District.

The program is called the Live Downtown Incentive program, administered by the Downtown Detroit Partnership. In a year, nearly 500 employees from these five companies have either moved downtown or are in the process of doing so the program.

This week marks the culmination of the hard work of a small group of worker bees representing these companies coming together and figuring out an engagement activity that might shine some positive light on the incentive program. Little did we know that it was going strike such a cord with the employees of these companies, that folks are already organizing and getting geared up for next summer!

So should you care?

Because this is happening in Detroit. Yes, the Detroit of infamy. The Detroit who's notorious reputation is so universal, that it surpasses the fear quotient that the Bronx used to conjure up. The Detroit of 8 Mile Road and all the rest of it.

But, you should also care that hundreds of smiles, new friendships were established and a great sense of community is starting to form amongst the participants representing these companies. And given that I'm always prone to supporting underdogs, I'm proud to say that I'm supporting Detroit on its tough road to better days.

I'm just glad that I was able to meet and work with my new-found partners in the grind Wanda, Stephanie, Maura, Marge, Jake, Jenn, Kristen, Karolina, Denise, Tom, Russell, Andy, Susan, Dave, Yvette, Eric, Trisha and many others that supported this week. You all represent the heart of the city of Detroit.

This city might be ours for the length of a summer internship or a lifetime of an octogenarian. Either way, its our city while we're here. And being a part of making it better, like I think Live Downtown Games has, is why I'm proud to call myself a Detroit.

(Check out www.downtowndetroit.org/summergames to learn more)