Prayer service highlights opening ceremony, Harvey Curley honored

EASTPOINTE — Car hoods raised up, fuzzy dice adorned rearview mirrors, and engines purred.

The 26th annual Eastpointe Cruisin’ Gratiot was in town this month. The five-day event started June 10 with a car show at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. Other daily car shows were held at First State Bank, the Villa Restaurant and Cloverleaf Bar and Restaurant.

On June 14, the gearheads returned for the car cruise along Gratiot Avenue and a car show in the Eastpointe High School parking lot. The event changed lanes a bit for an opening ceremony with Chenoa Hall singing “The Star-Spangeled Banner” and a prayer service. Immanuel United Methodist Church pastor and Eastpointe police chaplain Albert Rush served as emcee.

“We welcome you all here today to all these wonderful activities and everything that is going on,” Rush said. “We need to make sure we take an opportunity to give thanks to everyone, give thanks to our God, give honor to our country as we wait for the color guard to present the flags.”

For many years, Eastpointe City Council member Harvey Curley served on the Eastpointe Cruisin’ Gratiot Committee, including time as president. However, Curley — a former mayor of the city who has been involved with many commissions over the years — stepped down from the committee. Mayor Michael Klinefelt presented him with a plaque to thank him for keeping the cruise on track over the years.

“I’ve known Harvey since I was a kid. I grew up volunteering with him and learning from him and seeing all the different things he did in the community,” Klinefelt said. “He just doesn’t give up. He just keeps giving to the community. On behalf of the cruise committee I would like to present you with an award. Thank you for your vision, drive and lasting impact on this cherished community tradition. Your legacy will always cruise on.”

When accepting his award, Curley acknowledged the volunteers who helped with the cruise. He also reminded the crowd of the 250-year anniversary of the U.S. Army.

“A big applause for them,” he said. “God bless you. Thank you again for this award.”

This year, Steve Upton took over as president.

“Behind every good man is a great woman,” he said of his wife, Sharon Upton, cruise secretary. “Without Sharon we wouldn’t have been able to pull this off. When I got involved, it was great meeting all sorts of people. It’s about families, the community and the charities. It’s good for local businesses. The classic car community is a tight-knit community. People love talking about their cars.”

The weather was picture perfect for the parade of cars. Some concerns circled on social media about the cruise because of the orange cones and construction along Gratiot Avenue, but the event continued on. Rush thanked those who cleaned up the avenue to get ready for the event.