DBusiness Daily Update: Beaumont Children’s Receives $1.25M in Grants, Introduces New Child Ambassador, and More

Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
577
Connor Barringer of Waterford Township is Beaumont Children’s 2023 Children’s Miracle Network Child Ambassador. // Courtesy of Beaumont Children’s
Connor Barringer of Waterford Township is Beaumont Children’s 2023 Children’s Miracle Network Child Ambassador. // Courtesy of Beaumont Children’s

Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.

Beaumont Children’s Receives $1.25M in Grants, Introduces New Child Ambassador                          

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has announced financial support of more than $ 1.25 million in grants for programs at Beaumont Children’s.

More than 50 programs that enhance pediatric programs at Beaumont locations for fall/winter 2022 received funding.

Beaumont Children’s also announced the 2023 Children’s Miracle Network Child Ambassador for Beaumont Children’s: 12-year-old Connor Barringer of Waterford Township.

Berringer was 10 years old when he suffered a severe cervical injury in a soccer game. He was admitted for two months at Beaumont Children’s, requiring to be in HALO traction and lying flat in bed in the same position for an entire month. He then had to continue to wear the HALO for another month in the hospital and for many months following discharge.

During his time at the hospital, Connor engaged with every CMN-funded Child Life service offered.  He regularly looked forward to pet and music therapy visits, as well as receiving bravery beads for all of his difficult procedures and obstacles that he overcame throughout his stay. Beaumont’s school robot made visits to his classroom to help him stay up-to-date and engaged with his schoolwork. His parents and sister were also engaged with these services.

Today, he is back to being active and is looking forward to serving as the patient ambassador for Beaumont Children’s to help to raise awareness for pediatric initiatives across southeast Michigan.

Detroit Pistons Debut 2022-23 ‘Different by Design’ Brand Campaign

On the eve of tonight’s opening night at Little Caesars Arena, the Detroit Pistons debuted their tip-off spot, “Different by Design,” for its 2022-23 brand campaign.

The spot, which can be viewed in full here, is streaming across all @DetroitPistons social platforms and at Pistons.com.

Narrated by Big Sean, the “Different by Design” spot illustrates what makes Detroit, Detroit — a city built on being purposefully different and embracing a uniqueness unlike any other community — and how Detroit basketball has always been constructed with intent and with a focus on toughness and blue-collar mentality different than any other team in the NBA.

“Detroit’s story is different. Not just any ol’ different.
Like the Phoenix risen into something new different.
We tapped in – ready to put on for our city.
Every move made with purpose. Every change built on experience…”

Told through the perspective of following the Pistons’ opening night basketball through a journey of the city, “Different by Design” features cameos from Pistons’ legends Ben Wallace and Dave Bing, tap dancer and future Pistons court muralist, Rick Williams, and muralist Tony Lee as fans are reminded of the identity of Detroit, a city built behind the auto industry, Motown music, and hard work on and off the court.

The spot also features iconic Detroit locations and architecture including The Spirit of Detroit, the Horace E. Dodge Fountain, and the Guardian Building before reaching its final destination and the home of Detroit Pistons basketball, Little Caesars Arena. Big Sean concludes the spot by launching the ball in the air signifying the beginning of the 2022-23 season and letting it be known one more time that Detroit isn’t “different because they say so, we’re different by design.”

“Different by Design” was directed by Detroit-native Lawrence Lamont and features music from Detroit-native Jay Norman, the owner of Detroit-based Verse and Hook, the production house that created the track. The spot currently is airing during advertisement spots on local television networks, with additional versions running on social channels and Pistons.com.

The Detroit Pistons 2022-23 season tips off tonight at 7 p.m. against Orlando Magic at Little Caesars Arena.

Detroit’s Central City Integrated Health Gets $4M Federal Grant

Central City Integrated Health (CCIH) in Detroit will expand its comprehensive range of health services after receiving a $4 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) — with $1 million in funding coming each year from 2022 to 2025.

The grant will allow CCIH to expand primary and behavioral health services, with a focus on reducing suicide, trauma, and addiction for residents in Detroit and Wayne County through community outreach, education, training, and use of evidence-based strategies.

“There are many serious issues in Detroit — including a rise in drug use, mental health concerns, and increasing rates of suicide that were exposed during the pandemic — and this funding allows us to better address these issues over the next four years to help improve overall health in our community,” says Kimberly Farrow, president and CEO of CCIH.

“We greatly appreciate the SAMHSA grant, which will allow CCIH to do so much more to help close the gap on health disparities among African Americans and other underserved communities. We look forward to rising to this challenge.”

CCIH will expand existing behavioral health services and improve screening, referral and coordination with safety net organizations — training them how to identify and route individuals for needed mental health or substance abuse disorders and population health needs into treatment.

Andiamo Bloomfield Celebrates Silver Anniversary with Menu Makeover

The Joe Vicari Restaurant Group (JVRG) will be revamping the menu at its five Andiamo restaurant locations. The change comes with the arrival of certified master chef Daniel Scannell and the 25th anniversary of Andiamo Bloomfield Hills.

This new menu, which will debut at Andiamo Bloomfield Hills and expand to the remaining four metro Detroit locations over the next six months, will give guests the opportunity to enjoy some of their favorite menu items while experiencing something new and fresh.

The new menu, which has been in the works for several months now, has been crafted by Scannell, one 72 master chefs in the country. It was created based on his knowledge, technique, experiences, and research.

“Chef Scannell has been an essential part of our group,” says Joe Vicari, founder and CEO of Joe Vicari Restaurant Group. “He has helped create the menus at Birmingham Pub, The Bronze Door, and The Statler, all of which opened in the last year and a half, so I had no doubt he would be able to pull off something amazing to celebrate Andiamo.”

Scannell collaborated with Andiamo Bloomfield’s Executive Chef Marc Casadei, with each new item going through a lengthy process and continuing to be critiqued and tweaked until they were sure it was ready to be presented to customers.

The new menu is a modern re-invention of Italian cuisine while holding true to authentic ingredients, cooking techniques and region preparation. Scannell has put a modern flare on these items making sure their pairings and presentation are flawlessly executed.

The new menu will keep true to the roots of the Joe Vicari Restaurant Group existence, buying the freshest seasonal ingredients and preparing them from scratch each day. While maintaining approximately 50 percent of their current dishes it will leave room for a variety of uniform changes to all Andiamo menus.

For more information, visit here.

SamRose Entertainment, Boricuahoni Entertainment Kick Off Comedy Series in Pontiac

SamRose Entertainment and Boricuahoni Entertainment will be launching a monthly comedy event called Jokes On You! at the Pontiac’s Little Art Theatre (PLAT, 47 N. Saginaw) Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Hailing from all parts of Michigan, Mike Logan, Mike Geeter, Robert Jenkins, Ricarlo Williams, and Cam Rowe comprise the Jokes On You! comedy collective hosted by Tam White.

Guests 18 and older are welcome. There is a $15 cover charge. Tickets can be purchased here.

Clark Hill Law Firm Achieves Certification for Expanding Diversity in Firm Leadership

Detroit-based international law firm Clark Hill has achieved Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification in recognition of the firm’s commitment and work to increase diversity and inclusion in leadership roles within the firm.

“We are proud of the firm’s accomplishment in reaching Mansfield Certification, a notable industry recognition of our successful strategy to advance diversity across the firm’s leadership,” says John Hensien, CEO of Clark Hill. “As a firm, we value diverse perspectives across all levels of the firm’s leadership and across client teams. This was our first year to apply for Mansfield Certification and we couldn’t be happier to have this recognition affirming our work.”

Created and administered by Diversity Lab, an incubator focused on boosting diversity and inclusion in law, Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification requires that law firms consider at least 30 percent women, underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities and senior lateral positions.

“Achieving Mansfield Certification is a reflection of our collective efforts to move the needle toward a more diverse workplace,” saya Linda Watson, co-chair of Clark Hill’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. “In recent years, we’ve launched initiatives and created new internal protocols to advance our goals.  Our focus is on increasing the representation of historically underrepresented lawyers in firm management and leadership.”

Clark Hill has committed to the Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certification Process, which is currently underway.

Jottful Wins $100K Ann Arbor SPARK Invest360 Award at a2Tech360 Event

As part of its a2Tech360 week-long series of events, Ann Arbor SPARK awarded $200,000 to startups during Invest360, a pitch competition that recognizes promising emerging companies in the mobility, healthcare, and information technology sectors.

The winners, Functional Fluidics, Jottful, and M-Vision were each awarded $50,000 during the first part of the Invest360 event.

The three finalists then went on to compete for an additional $50,000 People’s Choice prize, which took place after Ann Arbor SPARK’s Tech Talk event on Oct. 14 at the Michigan Theater.

Audience members selected Ann Arbor-based Jottful, which makes and manages professional, affordable, and hassle-free websites for small businesses.

“The People’s Choice award is a fun, interactive component of Invest360,” says Mike Flanagan, vice president of capital programs for Ann Arbor SPARK. “While the three companies have a lot of experience pitching to potential investors, earning the approval of a live audience can be quite different.”

Dawn Verbrigghe, founder and CEO of Jottful, says: “Jottful is committed to helping the smallest of small businesses succeed online by delivering complete, professional websites at a price they can afford. We’re grateful the investor-judges and southeastern Michigan community have recognized our team for our innovation and growth. And we welcome Ann Arbor SPARK as an investor and companion on this journey.”

For more information, visit here.

Run of the Dead 5K/10K Run-Walk Slated for Nov. 5 in Southwest Detroit

The Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA) will host the 2022 Run of the Dead from 7 a.m.-12 p.m., Nov. 5 at the George S. Patton Park Recreation Center, (2301 Woodmere) in southwest Detroit.

The event celebrates the Mexican holiday of Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which honors deceased loved ones. The USATF-certified 5K and 10K events will begin at 9 a.m., taking competitors through southwest Detroit’s historic Holy Cross and Woodmere cemeteries. The event will include a variety of activities to help teach participants the significance of the holiday.

“This important event celebrates our rich community traditions and customs and is an opportunity for everyone to engage in Día de Los Muertos festivities as well as explore the businesses and cultural gems that make southwest Detroit so vibrant,” says Tonia Patino, chair of the SDBA board. “We are incredibly excited to welcome everyone back in person, for the first time since 2019, to join in a meaningful cultural celebration.”

As part of the day’s events, an ofrenda (altar) will be created and displayed by a local artist. The community is invited to participate by bringing family photos of their ancestors to add to the altar and wearing traditional Día de Los Muertos face paint, flowers, and attire. Halloween and non-traditional costumes are discouraged.

The event is a fundraiser for the Center of Music and Performing Arts Southwest (COMPÁS), an arts education organization that provides high-quality performing arts training and cultural experiences with an emphasis on youth development. The program preserves the Latinx heritage of southwest Detroit and celebrates its diversity through the arts.

For more information and to register, visit here.