Connections | DSG Update for April 9th

TONIGHT! Pecha Kucha Project Planning Meeting

Come join the Pecha Kucha project team at their first project meeting. Any and all are invited to drop in. Pecha Kucha is a presentation format in which a presenter has 20 slides, and can only spend 20 seconds on each slide.  Started in Tokyo, there are now "Pecha Kucha Nights" all around the world.  Help us start one in Detroit!

Date: Tuesday, April 8th

Time: 7:00-8:30pm

Location: Traffic Jam and Snug | 511 West Canfield St. between Cass and Second

Contact: Alok Sharma development@detroitsynergy.org

TOMORROW! April General Meeting @ the MOCAD

The MOCAD is the newest museum to arrive on the Detroit cultural landscape. It's purpose is to present art at the forefront of contemporary culture and is responsive to the cultural content of our time, fueling crucial dialogue, collaboration, and public engagement.

General meetings provide the opportunity to find out about new projects, to discover a new Detroit organization, and how to get involved with Detroit Synergy.

Date: Thursday, April 10th

Time: 6:30pm to 8:30pm

Location: MOCAD | Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit | 4454 Woodward Ave.

Contact: James Mitchell community@detroitsynergy.org

Synergy Shares @ the Habitat ReStore

DSG Shares provides an opportunity for volunteers to engage in a service learning event once per month designed to address a specific social issue plaguing our community - hunger and homelessness.

The Habitat Detroit ReStore helps raise the standards of area housing by providing individuals and families an opportunity to purchase building materials and home improvement products they may not otherwise afford.

Check out Habitat ReStore on the web at http://www.habitatdetroit.org

Date: Saturday, April 12th

Time: 9:00am-5:00pm - Volunteers can sign up from 9-1, 1-5 or for the entire day. 

Location: Habitat ReStore | 12630 Greenfield Rd. @ NE corner of Fullerton and I-96

Contact: Regina dsgshares@detroitsynergy.org  

Detroit Bikes! 4th Annual Riverfront Ride

Beginning its fourth season of cycling in the City of Detroit, Detroit Bikes! will continue its much anticipated schedule of neighborhood tours by bike. 

This ride will allow you to take in the sites and fabulous views as we ride through historic Rivertown, past Belle Isle, and through Lafayette Park--home to the largest collection of Mies Van Der Rohe buildings in the world. The end of our tour will lead us to Eastern Market, a wonderful place to have lunch, or to pick farm fresh goods and picnic with friends at various sites around town.  

As always, bike, bike helmet, and lights and/or reflectors required!

Date: Saturday, April 12th

Time: Ride leaves promptly at 10:00am (please sign-in 10 minutes ahead)  

Location: East Grand Circus Park at the Millennium Bell | across from Comerica Park

Duration: Approximately 11 leisurely miles, over 3 hours, at beginners level cycle speeds

Contact: Alex Froehlich detroitbikes@detroitsynergy.org

Guided Behind the Scenes Tour of the RenCen

Explore one of Detroit's landmarks and enjoy the view from the city's tallest building.  If you ever wondered where the local Detroit movie theatre is, or want to know what a $5 Million dollar investment looks like, then come check out GM's World Headquarters with Detroit Synergy  

Date: Saturday, April 12th

Time: 2:00pm (arrive early, limited to first 40 participants to arrive)

Location: Rennaissance Center | Meet in the GM Wintergarden (South/Riverfront RenCen entrance) 

Contact: Amanda Dunham dialogue@detroitsynergy.org

DIWI Calendar Project Planning Meeting

DSG is designing a Calendar to showcase the underdog beauty of Detroit. Come join the project team at their first meeting. Like all DSG events, this is open to any an all. First timers are always welcome.  

Date: Wednesday, April 16th

Time: 6:00-7:30pm

Location: Java Exchange | 440 Burroughs just West of Cass in Tech Town 

Contact: Maxine Gardner calendar@detroitsyenrgy.org 

April Third Thursday: Butchers Inn 

Third Thursdays are a great opportunity to connect with members of the Detroit Synergy community. Whether you are new to the organization, or well-traveled on the Synergy circuit, you will feel welcome at this social networking event.

This month, meet us in Eastern Market at the Butcher's Inn for drinks or dinner, with specials through 8:30.  Our charity partner this month is the Detroit chapter of Stand Up for Kids.  Please help this group serve homeless and street kids in our community by donating household cleaning supplies and/or standard (not travel) sized shampoo, soap, deodorant, or toothpaste to support the Transitional Living program. 

Ever wonder how projects get started? Have an idea you'd like to share? Come at 6:00 for an informal Project Clinic.

Date: Thursday, April 17th 

Time: 6:30-8:30 pm

Location: Butchers Inn | Eastern Market | 1489 Winder St.

Training Contact: Alok Sharma development@detroitsynergy.org

Third Thursday Contact: Joanna Porvin thirdthursday@detroitsynergy.org

3rd Annual Belle Isle 'Spring Into Nature' 5K Run/Walk!

This fun 5K run walk is for everyone...from the casual walker to the serious runner.  Bring the family and enjoy visiting the Nature Zoo too! 

When: Saturday, April 26th, 10:00 AM

Where:  Belle Isle Nature Zoo, Belle Isle, Detroit

Registration:  $20 pre-registered/$25 on event day (8:00-9:30 AM);

Pre-register on www.greatlakeschampionchip.com OR mail registration form and checks to: Detroit Synergy, 3430 East Jefferson Ave, Suite 725, Detroit, MI 48207

NEW for 2008 - Chip Timing!

Click HERE for flyer with full details and registration form

Questions? email Allison Bieri at runbelleisle@detroitsynergy.org

April Supper Club @ Fusia

Fusia, located inside Asian Village, has selected a four-course menu which gives diners a taste of what fine Asian dining is all about for the set price of $31, which includes tax and gratuity. Any additional items purchased will be billed upon consumption and kept on your own tab. For more details, please visit http://detroitsynergy.org/projects/supperclub/2008events/fusia/fusia0408

Date: Wednesday, April 30th

Time: 6:00pm

Location: Fusia | Asian Village | 521 Atwater Street, next to the RenCen  

Contact: Nicole Rupersberg supperclub@detroitsynergy.org  

Pub Crawl 9: The Corktown Crawl

Join Detroit Synergy for one of our biggest fundraisers of the year! This time around, we will be exploring historic Corktown, which boasts some of the oldest and most well known drinking establishments in the city. As always, participants will receive the much sought after DSG Pub Crawl T Shirt with ticket purchase. Stay tuned for more info as the event develops! 

Date: Saturday, May 3rd

Time: 7:00-11:00pm

Location: Corktown | Participating Pubs TBA

Contact: Frank or Nicole pubcrawl@detroitsynergy.org

On-going! Bus to Work Campaign: A Transit Project

We're working this April to help strengthen mass transit in metro Detroit. Is there a bus stop near where you work? Sign-up to post an educational flier at your workplace that describes the local routes and the personal cost savings.  Its easy - to get started, just go to www.detroitsynergy.org/projects/transit and we'll produce a customized flier for you to post.

Date: April 2008

Location: Wherever you work!

Contact: Hussein Kalaoui at BusToWork@detroitsynergy.org

On-going! Discussing Differences

Discussing Differences is a collaboration between Detroit Synergy and The Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion (MRDI) to help Metro Detroiters break down racial and social barriers by using MRDI’s 'Trading Places' dialogue series. We gather 20 volunteers to meet for 3, 3-hour sessions, to discuss these, and other, topics. We will be holding sessions again very soon, so if you are interested, please let us know!

For more info, visit http://detroitsynergy.org/projects/dpcg

Contact: Sonya, Christyn, Jen and David at discussingdifferences@detroitsynergy.org

Starting Soon! Project Clean

Project Clean is gearing up for the 2008 season! We have a few ideas in mind for the spring season, but we are always looking for new groups and events to work with! And as always, we need volunteers! Please contact us with any questions or ideas.

For more info, visit http://detroitsynergy.org/projects/clean  

Contact: Mike or Jen at clean@detroitsynergy.org

Have an Idea for Detroit? Want to Lead a Project? Then check out our 9 Quick and Easy Steps to Project Success!

Support Detroit Synergy Projects: Buy a T!

Do you enjoy Detroit Synergy projects? Pick-up your Member T and card for $10 at the General Meeting or Third Thursday to support Detroit Synergy's efforts to realize a common vision for a greater Detroit.

Community Callout - MLK High School Marching Band

Did you know that the Martin Luther King High School marching band is going to the Olympics in Beijing, China this August? They were initially slated to play at a Pre-Olympics festival in July, but were then invited to perform during the Olympics in August. They gladly accepted, but the total bill to send the band and chaperones jumped to nearly $150,000 more! They have received donations from the Skillman Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and even from Gov. Granholm, among other donations, but are still $70,000 away from their goal of $380,000. If you would like to donate, or help them get donations, please contact the High school at 313.494.7373 or band director, Victoria Miller, at 313.566.2440 or send donations to 3200 E. Lafayette
Detroit, MI 48207