Michigan Matters: Motor City's epic holiday traditions return
(CBS DETROIT) — The 98th Annual America's Thanksgiving Parade will roll through the streets of downtown Detroit this Thursday, with hundreds of thousands lining Woodward Avenue as six new floats make their debut.
Bob Riney, president and CEO of The Parade Company, appeared, as did Rachel Stewart, CEO of Garder-White, and Donald Rencher, president and CEO of the Hudson Webber Foundation. Stewart's company is the sponsor of the annual parade, which is celebrating its 100th year. It missed two years during a hiatus caused by World War II.
Stewart talked about modifying their float to include a representation of the Detroit Lions, which they are including as part of their marketing plans.
Riney shared details of their new float, which incorporates their $3 billion development coming to life in Detroit, which includes a new hospital, retail and more.
JL Hudson started the Detroit parade 100 years ago. Though the retailer is no more, his descendants are still involved. Hudson Webber Foundation is debuting its first-ever float in Thursday's parade, which Rencher talked about as it details the history of JL Hudson in Detroit.
Also on the show are F.J. Brady, Frank Brady and Jordan Mulka, the new executive director of the Detroit Goodfellows. The 110-year-old organization was started by James Brady, a Detroit newspaperman. F.J. and Frank Brady are both related to James Brady and have been champions for the Goodfellows for many years.
Mulka, who stepped into the leadership role this summer, talked about how she hopes to grow the organization and gain more young members. She talked about how the organization with the tagline "No Kiddie Without a Christmas" is distributing over 26,000 gift boxes to children across Metro Detroit in the coming weeks.
(Watch Michigan Matters at its new time: 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit, 9:30 a.m. Sundays on Detroit 50 WKBD.)
(Carol Cain is the 13-time Emmy-winning senior producer and host of Michigan)
