Six Detroit companies compete in third annual Live Downtown Games

DETROIT, July 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The game is on and the competition is fierce as the six Live Downtown companies face off in the third annual Live Downtown Games.  Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM), Compuware, DTE Energy, Quicken Loans, Strategic Staffing Solutions and Marketing Associates will send their finest athletes to showcase their talent in the week-long event in downtown Detroit. The 2014 Games kick off with opening ceremonies at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 21 in the heart of Downtown Detroit – Campus Martius Park – marking the three-year anniversary of the Live Downtown incentive program.

"The annual Live Downtown Games have brought a sense of community to these six companies," said Bob Gregory, Senior Vice President, of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. "Their continued collaboration demonstrates what can be achieved when companies rally together behind a common purpose. Over the past three years, the Live Downtown program has added over 940 residents to Downtown Detroit.  The collaboration of the Live Downtown companies has made Downtown Detroit a better place to live, work and play."

Over the course of four days during lunch and following work hours, employees from each Live Downtown company will compete in a series of Olympic-style activities in various Downtown Detroit locations. The companies will also combine efforts to build emergency preparedness kits for the Red Cross. The competition will be based on a point system with the winner crowned at the closing ceremonies on Thursday, July 24.  The complete schedule of activities is listed below. Highlights include:

• The obstacle course team competition immediately following opening ceremonies, which begins the week of competition
• Field day on DTE Energy's campus lawn
• A Detroit-themed scavenger hunt
• A residential tour of 10+ properties in Downtown Detroit that includes building tours, model units, and leasing specials
• Community philanthropic event benefitting the Red Cross

Employees will also have an opportunity to interact on Thursday, July 24 at a mixer event at Campus Martius. All participants are invited to kick off Detroit's 3-1-3 Birthday Bash that evening on The Beach at Campus Martius Park beginning at 5:30 p.m. with a DJ set by Dwele.

Schedule of Events

A special thank you to event hosts DTE Energy, Compuware and Drive Table Tennis Social Club, and to Come Play Detroit – Detroit's largest provider of recreational sports leagues for adults – for their help coordinating several of the week's events. Come Play Detroit will also be part of the week-long activities, helping to execute events and programming.

Daily updates will be posted at LiveDowntownGames.com.  You can also follow the games on Twitter at @LiveDETGames with the official hashtag, #LDG14. Throughout the week, photos will be posted daily to Flickr.com/photos/livedowntowngames.

In 2012, the Live Downtown Games were created to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Live Downtown program, which is coordinated by the Downtown Detroit Partnership and administered by Midtown Detroit, Inc. The five-year, more than $4 million Live Downtown Incentive Program was created to incentivize people working in Downtown Detroit to consider investing in a home in the city in which they work and play. The program focuses on building density in Downtown and designated nearby neighborhoods: Corktown, Lafayette Park, Eastern Market, Woodbridge and the Midtown areas of Brush Park, Cass Park, Art Center, and Lower Cass. For more information on the Live Downtown program, visit DetroitLiveDowntown.org.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan