On behalf of a larger event production team where every individual truly gave their best, Big Sean and the Sean Anderson Foundation would like to thank everyone who came together to make the 2nd Annual D.O.N. Weekend a spectacular success!
When the Sean Anderson Foundation’s Big Sean and Myra Anderson reached out to Shawn Wilson to partner on this year’s events, the word ‘moonshot’ began to be heavily incorporated into the ongoing development conversations. With 2018’s inaugural D.O.N. Weekend already setting the bar high for community engagement that offered curated and tailored resources that benefited local attendees, the Anderson’s and Mr. Wilson began reimagining the possibilities of how to further build upon a community-wide event, while still catering towards each individual’s experience; a reimagining, to reach a higher goal where attendees left feeling refreshed, enlightened, informed and curious, potentially accessing an increased sense of self confidence to utilize NEW tools and resources that would be made available, to extend any and all positive communications/conversations from the event thereafter.
Thanks to the support from friends including the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan, the 2nd Annual D.O.N. Weekend was able to return to celebrate the Detroit families, entrepreneurs, teachers and long-standing institutions that are the backbone of the city! On Saturday, the Sean Anderson Foundation unveiled our new Content & Production Studio in the Dauch Campus Boys and Girls Club, just before kicking off D.O.N. Weekend’s BLOCK PARTY. Throughout the campus, attending community members were treated to free food, carnival rides, free haircuts and hair braiding, health screenings, the Workforce One Jobs Bus, felony expungement, gaming stations, apprenticeship opportunities and so much more. With live performances taking place all afternoon, thanks to our event partner Councilwoman Mary Sheffield’s #OccupyTheCornerDetroit’s stage, the BLOCK PARTY was definitely the family and community event to be at on Saturday!
On Sunday, Day 2 of the 2nd Annual D.O.N. Weekend, an esteemed panel including Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Dr. Jessica Clemons, Shaka Senghor and Big Sean discussed the importance of self care and mental health awareness. Abounding with hope, taking place over the course of nearly four hours, the conversation opened to a community encouraged Q&A that proved to be therapeutic, healing, informative and refreshing! With closing remarks by Myra Anderson, sharing local resources that attendees could walk away with, we are so very grateful and thankful to every participant who was able to attend.
The evening’s hottest ticket certainly belonged to the DON of Detroit, as the Sean Anderson Foundation closed out D.O.N. Weekend at the Garden Bowl, with rousing games of bowling, pizza and plenty of laughter. Even the legendary and iconic Flavor Flav made an appearance!
Without the support from friends including Ally, Puma, the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan, Detroit Pistons, Quicken Loans, Fratarcangeli Wealth Management, Essentia Water, D’USSE and many others, this weekend would not have been possible!
Thank you to our photographers Brandon Abro and Lance Alyas, for documenting this year for the Sean Anderson Foundation!
THANK YOU FOR MAKING D.O.N. Weekend 2019 a SPECTACULAR SUCCESS!