Today, Aug. 20, the
Woodward Avenue Action Association (WA3) is officially launching its "Five Dollars a Day" crowdfunding campaign to raise the $125,000 needed to purchase two Albert Kahn-designed buildings in the historic Ford Highland Park Plant complex in Highland Park.
WA3 has secured the majority of the $550,000 needed to purchase the two buildings, including a $400,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation, another $15,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corp., and $10,000 from the WA3’s reserves. They need to raise the outstanding $125,000 by Oct. 1 in order to purchase the buildings.
The two intended buildings are the Woodward-facing Administration Building and the adjacent 8,000-square-foot executive garage. WA3's plan is to turn these historic structures, located on the site where Henry Ford's moving assembly line was born 100 years ago on Oct. 7, 1913, into an international automotive welcome center and visitor attraction.
The "Five Dollars a Day" campaign pays tribute to the wages that workers were paid at this plant - $5 a day, double the standard industrial wage at the time and enough for workers to afford to purchase the products they made. These higher wages launched the middle class.
Donations in denominations of $10, $25, $50, $100, and $500 will receive special automotive-themed gifts from WA3. Each dollar donated will be matched with $4 by the State of Michigan (up to $400,000). To donate,
click here.
Source: Lori Ella Miller, WA3 Marketing Manager
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg
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