Contact:

Mark Remme, (612) 656-3824, mremme@downtownminneapolis.com

MINNEAPOLIS (April 20, 2016) — The Minneapolis Downtown Council (MDC) announced today that Holidazzle, thanks to Fulton Brewery, Sociable Cider Werks and the local community, will donate $18,021 toward the creation and implementation of a new Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative program aimed at helping develop leadership and hospitality skills in local youth.

A percentage of Fulton and Sociable Cider Werks’ sales during last year’s Holidazzle event—which took place November 27 through December 20 in Loring Park—helped make the donation and the creation of this youth development program possible. The Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative will work with local outreach teams to select youth ranging from ages 18 to 23 years old, then hold training sessions that help instill communication skills, leadership qualities and a base of resources necessary for urban youth to flourish and succeed.

“The Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative was a great charity partner, and we appreciated the opportunity to bring awareness to this incredible organization through Holidazzle,” said Leah Wong, Vice President of Events and Marketing, Minneapolis Downtown Council. “We’re excited to continue this partnership while working together to provide lifelong skills for youth in our community.”

The program will kick off in the fall, and those who complete the youth development program will implement their skills in seasonal staff roles at next year’s Holidazzle—including greeter positions at Holidazzle entrance points.

“Helping the youth in our community is extremely important and timely,” said Mike Maney, chair of the Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative Advisory Committee and Senior Manager at Ryan Companies. “Especially given the broad needs and currently available resources, we believe this development program will help to fill a gap and equip participants the interpersonal and professional tools needed to be successful.”

MDC and the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board will bring Holidazzle back to Loring Park in 2016 while the Nicollet Mall Project continues its construction process in Downtown Minneapolis. This year’s Holidazzle will take place Thursdays through Sundays beginning Friday, November 25 and running through Friday, December 23.

Among the features returning to Holidazzle in 2016 will be Minneapolis-centric food, beverage and merchandise vendors along with activities for all ages to enjoy. Submit your interest for participating in this year’s Holidazzle, including food and merchandise vendors, by visiting Holidazzle.com/Participate.

For more information on Holidazzle, visit Holidazzle.com or follow along on social media via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #Holidazzle.

About the Minneapolis Downtown Council:

Founded in 1955, and one of the oldest central business associations in the nation, the Minneapolis Downtown Council (MDC) is a membership-based entity that works to create an extraordinary downtown. The MDC’s collaborative developments of Intersections: The Downtown 2025 Plan was designed to help downtown businesses, community leaders and citizens build on downtown assets and implement future goals. For more information, please visit DowntownMpls.com.

About the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is an independent, semi-autonomous body responsible for the Minneapolis park system. With 179 park properties totaling 6,801 acres of land and water, the Park Board provides places and recreation opportunities for all people to gather and engage in activities that promote health, well-being, community and the environment. Its Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, neighborhood parks, recreation centers and diversified programming have made the park system an important component of what makes Minneapolis a great place to live, play and work. More than 21 million annual visits are made to the nationally acclaimed park system, which was named the number one park system in the nation in 2013, 2014 and 2015 by The Trust for Public Land’s 2015 ParkScore® Index.

About Holidazzle:

The 2015 and 2016 Holidazzle is managed and produced by the Minneapolis Downtown Council in partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The 2015 Holidazzle was sponsored by Minneapolis Building & Construction Trades Council, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 292, North Central States Region Council of Carpenters, Painters and Allied Trades International Union, Laborer’s Union Local 563, Egan, Fraser-Morris Electrical Co., Swanson & Youngdale, Hirschfield’s, North Memorial Health Care, CenterPoint Energy, Xcel Energy, Fulton Brewery, NELSON, RipBang Studios—a division of NELSON, DigitalParc, Comcast Business, Indulge & Bloom, dotcom.printing.inc., Warning Lites, Minneapolis Recycles, Premium Waters, Inc., Metro Transit, Star Tribune and Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine. The Downtown Skating Rink was a collaborative effort by the Minneapolis Downtown Council, Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative and Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, and is sponsored by VEIT, Kraus-Anderson, Minneapolis Building & Construction Trades Council, Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District, U.S. Bank and Love Your Melon.

About The Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative:

The Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative is an initiative that brings the public and private sectors together to make the heart of downtown safe and welcoming for those who live, work, and visit here. In December 2004, the downtown business community approached city leadership to ask for efforts to increase downtown safety. As a result, the Minneapolis SafeZone Collaborative for downtown was formed by the Minneapolis Police Department. In July 2009, SafeZone became a subsidiary of the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District. The organization focuses on public safety through leveraging collaborative partnerships, technology, communication resources and strategic initiatives.

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Mark Remme | Communications Manager
Minneapolis Downtown Council | 81 S. 9th Street #260 | Minneapolis, MN | 55402

mremme@downtownminneapolis.com | Cell: 507.290.1452 | Office: 612.656.3824 | Fax: 612.338.0634