By: K. Michelle Moran | Grosse Pointe Times | Published February 24, 2026
GROSSE POINTE CITY — The Maire Bears proved that they’re care bears just before Valentine’s Day.
Students from the Grosse Pointe City elementary school — whose mascot is the bear — delivered handmade valentines and artwork to businesses in The Village Feb. 11.
Grosse Pointe City resident, Maire parent and business owner Maggie Ehrlich — who serves on the Main Street Grosse Pointe design committee — spearheaded this project as a way to celebrate community and the unique relationship between Maire and The Village, of which Maire is a part.
Ehrlich said 19 Maire students made valentines for 20 businesses chosen by the students for being special to them personally. Students wrote notes on their valentines telling the businesses why they liked them and then presented the businesses with these cards.
“It was spreading love in the neigh-bear-hood, as we like to say,” Ehrlich said.
The participating students were in a craft studio that Ehrlich offered to Maire as a lunchtime enrichment program. She said she has two groups of students — Young 5s through first grade and second to fourth grade.
Ehrlich said she and her husband moved to Grosse Pointe City before they had children because they loved the community’s walkability. She grew up in Grand Rapids and her husband is from Birmingham, so neither of them had ties to the area.
“It’s really a neat thing to have all of your classmates be neighbors,” she said.
Many of the stores assembled gifts or gift baskets for the children, something Ehrlich said they weren’t expecting.
Cindy Willcock, executive director of Main Street Grosse Pointe, said even businesses that weren’t selected waved to the kids as they walked by.
“I was so impressed with these kids and how they interacted with the businesses,” Willcock said.
Anytime there’s a half-day at school, Ehrlich said, The Village is full of bikes.
“This project really highlights how interconnected our community really is,” Ehrlich said.
Grosse Pointe City officials greeted news of the initiative with enthusiasm. During a Jan. 26 Grosse Pointe City Council meeting, Mayor Sheila Tomkowiak thanked Ehrlich for organizing it and called it “wonderful.”
“That’s really nice,” City Councilman Seth Krupp said after Ehrlich gave a presentation about the project.
One of the businesses wasn’t open yet when the valentines were distributed, so Willcock recorded a video of the girl who made the business’s valentine to show an employee. The employee was so overcome with joy, Ehrlich said, he was jumping up and down.
Kroger made an announcement about the students over its public address system and everyone in the store clapped, Willcock said.
“It was a great opportunity and a great experience,” Willcock said. “Everybody walked away happy and invigorated and with a sense of togetherness.”
It was a way to get the businesses and the children to engage with one another and create a sense of community.
“By building awareness between The Village and the children, that makes them more comfortable with each other,” Ehrlich said.
Stores hung up the valentines and artwork so they could be seen by others.
Willcock said the businesses were happy to have the young visitors.
“They were all so excited and pleased,” she said.
Ehrlich and Willcock hope to do other projects like this in the future.
“We’re hoping we can find other creative ways to work with Maire,” Willcock said.