America's Largest Free Jazz Festival 'Made in Michigan'

America's Largest Free Jazz Festival 'Made in Michigan'

Many Homegrown Companies Help Keep it First Class & Free

DETROIT, Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1908 when Absopure was born to humble beginnings in Detroit, the company always held that quality would come first. Fast forward to the early 1990s, when Absopure would join forces with Robert McCabe of Detroit Renaissance to demonstrate their support of the Detroit International Jazz Festival (DJF) as an economic engine and significant cultural event in Detroit.

Today, Absopure is on the eve of its 100th Anniversary as a successful national business, and its 14th year as a key sponsor of America's largest free jazz festival, which brings an estimated 1M people, 26% from out-state and out-of-state, to Detroit each year.

Absopure is one of many sponsors who help bring hundreds of artists to Detroit to perform on 2M square feet of prime real estate on Hart Plaza, Woodward Avenue and Campus Martius each year. They are joined by several other "Made in Michigan" companies including Carhartt Clothing Company of Dearborn, Motor City Casino Hotel of Detroit, Art Van Furniture and Big Boy of Warren, Greektown Casino, Compuware, Detroit Receiving Hospital, Wayne State University, DTE Energy, Hour Detroit Magazine, Hammell Music, Detroit Media Partnership and Honors of Royal Oak.

Third-generation Absopure owner William Patrick Young grew up with Jazz Fest and has been a champion of it, both personally and professionally. "As an American company based in Michigan, we recognize the importance of supporting this American art form and matching our quality product with this high caliber event in Detroit," said Young. One of Michigan's homegrown casinos echoes these sentiments. "Not only is the Detroit Jazz Festival an event in "3 Days in the D, it is a great performance of individual notes that together link Detroit to not only the nation but also the global community through the universal language that is music. It is an investment that stands out for us, because jazz itself brings together people across many boundaries: gender, age, nationality, ethnicity, etc!" said Jacci Woods, Public Relations Director of the Motor City Casino Hotel.

Perhaps it is not by accident that water has become a major theme for sponsors this year. Art Van has incorporated it into its inaugural sponsorship of Jazz Fest. "Art Van will feature the Grand Shores Collection at the Jazz Festival, and when you purchase anything from this collection, a portion of the proceeds goes to the Water Quality Protection Fund of Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality," said Debra Colon, Special Events Director for Art Van Furniture. A local company is also involved in Jazz Fest merchandise. Joan McNish, owner of Honors promotional products in Royal Oak, has been a long time supporter of the Jazz Festival. This year, she came up with a sophisticated line of merchandise that reflects the 2007 theme "Rumble in the Great Lakes," on tote bags, caps, tees, V-necks, coffee mugs and more. "I am really looking forward to showcasing this new look for the Festival this year," said McNish.

Michigan based companies are joined by others including Chase, now in its third year sponsorship of the Main Stage at Campus Martius; MGM Grand Detroit Casino, hosts of corporate hospitality at the Amphitheatre; and others including Budweiser, Future Brands, Starbucks Coffee Company, Glaxo Smith Kline, Johnson & Johnson, Pepsi, Comcast and Fox 2.

The 28th Annual Detroit International Jazz Festival is made possible, in part, due to an endowment established by Gretchen C. Valade. For more information on the Detroit International Jazz Festival, visit www.detroitjazzfest.com.

Contact: Peggy K. Goodwin, APR
248.414.4533

Shelly Najor, PhD
248.396.0508

Matt E. Lee
248.931.2443

Source: Detroit International Jazz Festival

CONTACT: Peggy K. Goodwin, APR, +1-248-414-4533, or Shelly Najor, PhD,
+1-248-396-0508, or Matt E. Lee, +1-248-931-2443, all for Detroit
International Jazz Festival

Web site:

http://www.detroitjazzfest.com/

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