By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
WKTV Managing Editor
Saturday is the kick off for the 2023 Metro Cruise kicks — which is under new organizers — with the annual Miss Metro Cruise preliminaries at the Moose Lodge, 2630 Burlingame Ave. SW.
The Miss Metro Cruise event is set to start at 11 a.m., according to Walter T. Pyper. Along with Paper, Bebe Von Schweetz, a top ten Metro Cruise finalist in 2021 and 2022 and Victoria Jean, Miss Metro Cruise 2022, make up the Boss Pin-Up Babes, which is the organizer of this year’s Miss Metro Cruise.
Pyper said there is not a lot of changes to the event with the car show running fro 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Top Ten Finalists from the preliminary round will compete for the title of Miss Metro Cruise 2023 on Saturday, Aug. 26.
A new twist to a familiar event
“We are so excited to be taking over the event,” said Molly Sheehan, aka Bebe Von Schweetz. “We are looking forward to bring new life to the program itself and to shake things up a little.”
Sheehan and her partners have a lot of experience in participating in pin up events like Miss Metro Cruise. Sheehan was a Top Ten finalist in 2021 and 2022 for Miss Metro Cruise and has travelled and competed in other events. She also has encouraged a number of ladies to join “the sisterhood of pin up” and participate.
“Pin up competitions are traditionally the same, but there are things you can do to spice it up a little,” Sheehan said. “We really want to think outside of the box for ideas to take Miss Metro Cruise into a different direction and keep it fresh as we are going forward.
“We just can’t wait to see everyone at this year’s event.”
Because the group took over the event in May, Sheehan said there won’t be a lot of changes to this year’s program. Participants will be at the preliminary, posing with cars and talking to fans. Past winners might be there as well.
GReater Level takes over Metro Cruise
The Boss Pin-Up Babes are not the only new addition to the Metro Cruise, but the Wyoming Kentwood Chamber of Commerce has turned over the entire Metro Cruise event, scheduled for Aug. 25 and 26, to the production company GReater Level.
Chamber President and CEO Keith Morgan, who took over as head of the Chamber last year, said he started looking at the purpose of how each chamber event supports and fits into the overall Chamber mission.
“For the past several years, Chambers, especially the ones that are our size, have really moved away from solely providing events and have increased supporting local businesses by uncovering ways we can offer more on programs for its businesses,” Morgan said, adding the programs center on workforce development, leadership training, being at the table supporting our businesses, diversity and inclusion, and other business services.
In fact, the Chamber recently received about $150,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from Kent County for workforce development support and training to local businesses in the South Kent County area.
“This support and training will allow us to help local business access needed information, connectivity, and business education,” Morgan said. “These resources will go toward providing several services at no or low cost to local businesses that are staples in our communities. Funding will serve as a support for new businesses created because of being displaced, those diversity affected by the pandemic, as well as businesses that are striving to expand their services in a struggling market.”
The Chamber also recently developed the new initiative Diversity Business Council designed to serve business owners in underserved and underrepresented communities.
An 18-year tradition
Started in 2005, Metro Cruise, which his centered around the love of classic cars, was created as a result of M-6 being built and opened. The concern was that traffic would dissipate from 28th Street and turn a street that was once the second busiest in Michigan into an afterthought.
28th Street did struggle and iconic businesses, such as Studio 28, closed. However, in recent years, there has been development such as the city’s 28 West project and the apartment complex HOM Flats. Lindo Mexico opened a new location and longtime places, such as Marge’s Donuts, have renovated and/or expanded in the past 18 years since Metro Cruise started.
Over those 18 years, Metro Cruise has grown as well. Last year, the event had two locations in Wyoming and Kentwood. As the 2022 event closed, the remaining key Chamber members involved with Metro Cruise announced they were retiring. Morgan said he looked around the Chamber and realized they did not have the skill set to maintain the operation on a volunteer basis.
Handing over the reigns
“Financially, it is quite a big undertaking,” Morgan said. “As the Chamber Board looked at the direction the Chamber was going, the vibrancy of 28th Street, and the need for the Metro Cruise to be staged on a more professional level, it became obvious that it was time for us to hand the reigns over.”
Brandon Simmons, owner of GReater Level and who has served as the Metro Cruise project manager for the past several years, stepped up to continue the Metro Cruise legacy.
“GReater Level has served as the project manager for several years and we believed they are positioned for success with this event,” Morgan said. “We look forward to seeing how the Metro Cruise grows in its benefit to the local business along the 28th Street corridor.”
According to the 28th Street Metro Cruise, the event will again have two locations. Rogers Plaza and Woodland Mall.
For more information on the event, visit 28thstreetmetrocruise.org
