June 13, 2025
The winners have been announced for MotorCities' Awards of Excellence in the following categories:
Heritage Tourism -
- Don & Gayle Nicholson of Westland for creating and growing the annual Cruisin' Hines event in Wayne County’s Edward Hines Park over the last 16 years. This event is unique because it only allows the classics to cruise, creating a special atmosphere for both cruisers and spectators. The event boasts 40,000 classic vehicles and over 500,000 spectators from 17 states and five Canadian provinces.
Education/Interpretation -
- The Historical Society of Greater Lansing for Pave the Way: The I-496 Project, for Pave the Way: The I-496 Project, a comprehensive research project that explored the impact of the freeway construction during the 1960s on Lansing and the relocation of its residents and neighborhoods, particularly African American residents and businesses. Interview accounts and a resulting exhibit have been displayed at Lansing City Hall and the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum. A 64-minute documentary film, “They Even Took the Dirt,” featured many of the interviews and can be seen at https://www.lansinghistory.org/they-even-took-the-dirt.
Revitalization -
- Greg & Kristin Donofrio for the Phoenix Mill restoration in Plymouth. This was one of Henry Ford’s original Village Industry Mills along the Rouge River. This mill was unique in that it boasted an all-female work force as early as the 1920s. That history was on the forefront of the minds of Richard Cox, along with Greg and Kristin Donofrio, when they acquired the mill from Wayne County in 2018 with the goal to return the building to its original integrity. Their work has paid off as the building has been restored and reopened, hosting long-term tenants and special events.
The winners were announced last week at a luncheon at the Stellantis Conner Center in Detroit, the home of the historic collection of 100 years of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth, DeSoto vehicles.
In addition, MotorCities presented its highest honor, the Milestone Award, to Ford Motor Company's Corporate Historian Emeritus Robert Kreipke. For over 25 years, Kreipke, a Detroit resident, has served as a project advisor and board member, helping propel MotorCities to become the nationally–recognized experts on preserving and promoting Michigan’s automotive heritage. In addition, he was Chairman of the Board between 2015 and 2019, steering the organization through successful projects like the launching of our highway promotional signs, the creation of the Fort Street Bridge Interpretive Park in Detroit, and the celebration of MotorCities' 20th anniversary.
Sponsors for the Awards of Excellence Luncheon include the following:
- Presenting Sponsors: Ford House, the UAW International Union and Stellantis;
- Patron Sponsors: Gilmore Car Museum, Choose Lansing and Visit Detroit;
- Supporting Sponsors: Don Nicholson Enterprises, Doeren Mayhew, General Motors and Stan Shelton Photography;
- Event Sponsors: Grigg Graphic Services, Inc., Destination Ann Arbor, Project Arts & Ideas and Analyze Accounting.