November 4, 2019
On Wednesday, October 30, the MotorCities National Heritage Area Partnership honored U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow and three organizations who had distinguished themselves in the areas of auto and labor heritage with its 6th annual Awards of Excellence.
A winner in each of three categories -- revitalization, education and tourism -- were announced during Michigan Auto Heritage Day, an invitation-only event for state lawmakers in the Capitol Rotunda in Lansing.
Senator Stabenow was honored with MotorCities’ annual Milestone Award. She has supported MotorCities from its beginning, co-signing the original authorizing legislation in 1998 when she was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Most recently, she was responsible for passing legislation earlier this year that lifts the cap on the amount of appropriations that MotorCities can accept from $10 million to $12 million, paving the way for the organization to continue normal operations for four more years.
The winner of the Revitalization award was the Cherry Hill Ford Factory Complex in Canton, an original Henry Ford Village Industry Factory and Dormitory being restored by the Partnership for the Arts and Humanities. The complex will offer veterans programming – the same purpose it served when Ford opened the facility in the 1940s.
The award for Interpretation and Education went to SAE International Mobility History Committee of Troy, comprised of students, academics, business, industry, and retirees sharing their extensive knowledge on transportation history through presentations, publications, and other media and outreach - creating interest in the technological needs of the future.
Finally, the award for Heritage Tourism was presented to Back to the Bricks, the annual Flint event, which paved the road for other organizations to turn toward the city of Flint to host their events downtown.
Michigan Automotive Heritage Day and the Awards of Excellence began in 2014 and have become an annual opportunity to celebrate the story that can only be told in Michigan: how this area "Put The World On Wheels."
For more photos from the event: 2019 Michigan Auto Heritage Day.