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The
public
is
invited
to join
in the
celebration
on
Tuesday,
Sept. 23
DETROIT
� He�s
big.
He�s
made of
bronze.
And, his
Spirit
is
contagious.
The
Spirit
of
Detroit
statue
will
celebrate
his 50th
anniversary
on
Tuesday,
Sept.
23, at a
ceremony
in front
of his
�home� �
the
Coleman
A. Young
Municipal
Center,
located
at 2
Woodward
Avenue
in
Detroit.
Open to
the
public,
a
festive
ceremony
is
planned
to honor
the
statue
and
commemorate
its
place in
the
hearts
and
minds of
Metro
Detroiters.
The
recently
renovated
statue
was
originally
dedicated
on Sept.
23, 1958
with
sculptor
Marshall
Fredericks
on hand
to show
off his
prized
artwork.
According
to
Fredericks,
�The
statue
represents
the
Spirit
of Man �
and the
Spirit
of Man
is
manifested
in the
family,
the
noblest
relationship.�
The
renovation
was
needed
because
age and
weather
had
caused
damage
to the
statue�s
green
patina
exterior
and to
its
marble
base.
The
general
contractor
for the
work was
Chezcore,
Inc. of
Detroit.
Venus
Bronze
Works,
Inc. in
Detroit
worked
on the
statue
restoration
and
CASO-IMPEX
in
Birmingham,
Mich.,
handled
the
restoration
of the
Vermont
marble
backdrop
and
base.
The
statue
stands
16 feet
high,
has an
arm span
of 22
feet and
weighs 9
tons.
On hand
for the
celebration
will be
the new
Mayor of
Detroit,
the
Honorable
Kenneth
V.
Cockrel
Jr.,
Wayne
County
Executive
Robert
Ficano,
Wayne
County
Commission
Chair
Jewel
Ware and
Detroit
City
Council
President
Monica
Conyers.
Detroit-Wayne
Joint
Building
Authority
Chairperson
Patricia
Cole
will
emcee
the
ceremony,
which
will
include
a
tribute
to the
late
Colin
Hubbell
and the
late Ray
Parker,
both
tireless
advocates
of the
city of
Detroit.
�The
50th
anniversary
of the
Spirit
of
Detroit
statue
couldn�t
happen
at a
better
time,�
said
Chairperson
Cole.
�The
statue
has been
with us
through
good
times
and
difficult
times.
We
embrace
the
positive
new
beginning
we now
have in
the city
of
Detroit
and look
to the
Spirit
of
Detroit
to
anchor
us for
smooth
sailing
ahead.�
The
ceremony
will
begin at
11:30
a.m.
with
musical
selections
by the
Cass
Technical
High
School
Band and
the
Friends
School
Vocal
Ensemble.
Remarks
will
begin at
noon.
Celebratory
refreshments
will be
served
after
the
ceremony.
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