The list of events happening in town is endless these days, but one thing is pretty much certain: very few of these events ever present via their press materials a path tied to public transportation.
Breaking from the pack this weekend is a neighborhood bar hop from Generation X & Y for Michigan, a group that has been turning heads for their community-organizing events around connecting neighbors, and their dedication to talent retention.
"We were trying to figure out how to host a multi-neighborhood event, but as we started talks, we realized that (we could) approach this topic by taking a short cut and just hiring a trolley to haul guests from points A to B," says Johannah Jelks, events director at GenX&YforMI. "Sure, we could rent the trolley… or we could use this event to highlight the ease of using the Rapid public transportation service that runs through the many neighborhoods we have scheduled for our event on Friday."
After a few quick calls, it was set. The Rapid would offer $5 wristbands that members can purchase at any one of their three meeting stops and use them to ride all night long on the number 6 line that snakes through the neighborhoods. The main neighborhoods planned include Heartside, Eastown, and Cherry Hill, and then back to GenX&YforMI's headquarters for an afterparty with AB! spinning on the 1s and 2s. (A complete list of bars participating is on their site.)
"A lot of our young professionals are not familiar with public transportation," says Jelks, who planned this event with Cherie Elahl, operations manager of GenX&YforMI. "In fact, we saw this event as an opportunity to engage and excite folks around the coming public transportation revolution in our city as we prepare for the launch of the new Silver Line BRT." (The Silver Line BRT recently broke ground and will be operational by August 2014.)
To make sure they attract their targeted demographic, GenX&YforMI has partnered with Grand Rapids Young Professionals, a group that seeks to engage their 21-40 year-old members in civic-based activities. It is a perfect match sure to guarantee a huge event. So what are you waiting for? Get on The Rapid!
The event kicks off at Heartside's The Pyramid Scheme at 5 p.m. and will depart this location at 5:30 p.m via The Rapid's #6 bus line.
Admission: $5 for wristbands.
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