Don't Be Afraid Of Detroit: Man's Mission To Change Minds 1 T-Shirt At A Time
DETROIT (WWJ) - The excitement surrounding the Tigers clinching a spot in the World Series has one Detroit resident working to give the city's image a boost.
Knowing thousands of people would be at Comerica Park Thursday to watch the Tigers take on the New York Yankees in game four of the American League Championship Series, Salvatore Aiello stood outside the ball park, spreading his message about the city -- "Don't Be Afraid of Detroit" -- on t-shirts and wristbands.
"It just makes me happy that I stand out here with these shirts and whether I sell them or not, people see the term and they smile, and they go 'Ha! Don't be afraid of Detroit.' And it kind of hits them 'You know what? I'm in Detroit right now and yeah, I'll go home and tonight on the news I might hear about somebody being, something happening that's bad. But you know what? I was down there today all day with my family and we had a great time,'" Aiello told WWJ's Beth Fisher.
Aiello said the recent negative press about cutbacks in the police department inspired his venture -- especially an article in which an attorney for the Detroit Police Officer Association said the "war-like" city is unsafe for visitors. Read more, here.
