Phil Salvatore of Roseville hauls away trash by Comerica Park. About 850 volunteers participated Saturday in the All-Star Super Makeover.All-Star Warmup
Proud volunteers clean up Detroit for All-Star Game
Considered a dress rehearsal for Super Bowl XL, makeover targets Comerica Park area.
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DETROIT -- The backdrop was bleak. The pride was enormous.
Toting rakes, paintbrushes and a healthy dose of civic love, some 850 volunteers hit the streets near Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday to clean up nearby neighborhoods before the July 12 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
They came from the suburbs and the city for a job that wasn't always pleasant. Just blocks away from the $360 million ballpark, volunteers removed generations of junk from streets befouled with graffiti such as "Pass Me By, You Won't Get High."
"I'm tired of all the negative press the outside media gives to our city," said Phil Salvatore, 65, of Roseville, a retired steel supplier. "We need to get this city cleaned up so they can't bad-mouth us. There's a lot to do. You get kind of depressed, but we need to make the city look beautiful."
Considered by some a dress rehearsal for Super Bowl XL at Ford Field on Feb. 5, the All-Star Game is vital in its own right. The Detroit Tigers estimate the game, and five days of festivities leading to it, will generate $55 million for the local economy.
The game also gives the nation a glimpse of Detroit, which weighed heavily on the minds of volunteers at the four-hour morning cleanup dubbed the All-Star Super Makeover. "I'm amazed at the pride Detroiters have for their city," said Gael Sandoval, 42, manager of housing and events for the Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee. "They really want to make a difference."
You can reach Joel Kurth at (313) 222-2610 or jkurth@detnews.com.
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