Elevating Saginaw: The Legacy of the Memorial Cup with Jimmy Greene

I was bothered.

2

We set up a lot of free

events at the Jolt Park.

3

We have concerts every single day.

4

But I kept thinking to myself.

5

Something was missing.

6

So we had these events from 4 to 7.

7

At 7 o'clock, everybody crosses the

street to watch the hockey games, Except

8

the people who can't afford to go in.

9

And I thought, God, that's the optics

of the haves and the have nots.

10

It is.

11

t's true.'t

12

And I thought it had bothered me.

13

I couldn't put my finger on it.

14

And finally it did.

15

Cliff Duvernois: Hello everyone, and

welcome back to Total Michigan, where

16

we interview ordinary Michiganders

doing some pretty extraordinary things.

17

I'm your host, Cliff Duvernois.

18

So this is actually going to

be part two of my story around

19

capturing the Memorial Cop.

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And the impact that it's having on Saginaw

and all of the surrounding counties.

21

So if you would you probably could

go back and listen to my interview

22

with Craig Goslin episode 157 Where

he talked about what it actually took

23

to bring the Memorial Cup to Saginaw.

24

And one of the things that he hinted

at during that interview was the

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legacy projects that are going

to permanently change Saginaw.

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And I really wanted to follow up with

that a little bit more and everybody

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said if you want to do that the man,

you need to talk to is Jimmie Greene.

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Jimmie Greene: Well, first of

all, thank you for having me.

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Although I, prefer extraordinary people

doing extraordinary things as opposed

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Cliff Duvernois: No, that's Perfect.

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So Jimmie you're the sales

director for the Memorial Cup

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Jimmie Greene: Absolutely.

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Cliff Duvernois: Excellent.

34

So just really quick for our

audience because we've already talked

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about what the Memorial Cup is.

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What I would like for you to do

if you would Is just kind of like

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at a high level talk about some

of the events That are going to be

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happening during the Memorial Cup.

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Jimmie Greene: First of all, we put

a chip on our shoulder right away.

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Once we won the Memorial Cup, the idea was

we were going to deliver the best grandest

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Memorial Cup, uh, that's ever been done.

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The reason we did that was because

this is only the fourth time

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it's been here in the States.

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So we wanted to make sure

that there was a fifth time.

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So we put, yeah, we raised the level.

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No question about it.

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We put a lot of expectations on ourselves.

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So we started with the basics

day one through day 12.

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What are we going to do on these days

to impress not just the Canadians, but

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the Great Lakes Bay Region folks, our

hockey fans, just basically anywhere.

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And the idea was to create these sort of

events that would encompass the entire

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community and not just hockey fans.

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Cliff Duvernois: Nice and before we jump

into that a little bit more just for

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our audience here Why don't you tell us

a little bit about where are you from?

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Where did you grow up?

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Jimmie Greene: Oh, I was born

and raised in Flint, Michigan.

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I'm a project boy.

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I say that proudly, only because when

I think about how I wound up here,

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there's humility in every step, grace.

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quite frankly, in everything

I've done, I'm a firm believer,

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that we are where we're supposed to be.

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I've always been guided by that.

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And, born and raised in Flint.

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Got out of Flint.

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Went to Eastern Michigan

University, wound up in Saginaw, uh,

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Cliff Duvernois: What

did you study at Eastern?

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Jimmie Greene: Believe it or

not, child care development.

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I,

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I had this idea that I was

going to, help children.

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I wanted to be the dad

that, my father wasn't.

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Uh, I, I grew up in a very

alcoholic, infested environment.

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My dad wasn't around.

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My mom was.

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But, she suffered through alcoholism.

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And it, uh, impaired our childhood.

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So I thought, uh, I was going to be that

dad, that parent that every child needed.

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So that's why I went to

childcare development.

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Couldn't find couldn't job though.

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Cliff Duvernois: So yeah,

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Jimmie Greene: so I just started

applying everywhere and I got a job

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opportunity I in Saginaw and banking.

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Cliff Duvernois: In banking.

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Ok.

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So let me ask you this question

here it's a little bit of

85

a stretch banking to hockey

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So let me ask you this question here

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Jimmie Greene: I've done a lot of

things before, in between that.

88

Cliff Duvernois: Oh, there you go.

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So why don't you just give

us like a highlight of

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Jimmie Greene: So I went

from banking to brokerage.

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From brokerage to, information

technology, believe it or not.

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Uh, And then I started my

own consulting company.

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And then from there, I

found politics and policy.

94

And, at that point, Associated

Builders and Contractors, uh,

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was looking for a president.

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They had had five over seven years.

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So I don't know how in the heck, uh,

they decided I was the right fit.

98

But I was.

99

So 16 years ago, I joined

Associated Builders and

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Contractors as their president.

101

And I was responsible for all policy and

politics and government affairs for, a lot

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of builders here in the state of Michigan.

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Cliff Duvernois: So, you got a job

that primarily brought you to Saginaw,

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but you've chosen to stay in Saginaw.

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Jimmie Greene: I had a mentor,

Henry Marsh, who was the

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first black mayor in Saginaw.

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Henry Marsh said something

to me that changed my life.

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Everybody I've ever mentored,

I give this lesson to.

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Ironically, it had everything

to do with banking.

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Henry Marsh said to me, a

community is a depository.

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What you deposit is your time and effort.

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Because at some point, you're going to

want to do business with this community.

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That's your withdrawal.

114

And you always wanted to make sure that

no matter what community you belong to,

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you're not overdrawing your account.

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I never forgot that.

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So I started joining board of directors,

started a lot of volunteerism.

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It's ironic because that's really

where you meet the cream of the crop.

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You meet business leaders in service.

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Ultimately that service led me to my

best friend Garber, who is the owner

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of the Saginaw Spirit and a primary

reason I'm with the Saginaw Spirit to

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this very day leading the Memorial Cup.

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So when, when I say you're, you are

where you're supposed to be, that started

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in child and family services serving

on a board where I first met Dick.

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There were just so many things that

to me, there's nothing coincidental

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or incidental, or accidental about

me being here doing this interview

127

with you with the Saginaw Spirit.

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I don't believe in

necessarily predestination.

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But I believe when we trust our steps

along the way, we are where we are.

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That's why I think people find it funny

when I say I don't have any regrets.

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The only reason I say that is

because I think at some point regrets

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means I could do, get a do over.

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And I don't think you get do overs.

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I think you get do betters.

135

And if I could go and change one single

thing that would prevent me from having

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this interview with you, or just to

have a do over, I wouldn't do it.

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I know it's a long way to get to

the Saginaw Spirit, but I've been a

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seasoned ticket holder for 13 years.

139

My daughters grew up

with the Saginaw spirit.

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We call them hockey chicks.

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Ironically, they're 22, 21 and 19.

142

They all work for the Saginaw Spirit.

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And so you could see

where, following your path.

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Are you supposed to be where you are?

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Absolutely.

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I don't think anybody could look at

where I started in the projects or I

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started in banking and then look at this

based on my life's journey and travel.

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I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be

and leading in the Memorial Cup is

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exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.

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awesome.

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And we're definitely going to

unpack a lot more of that a lot

152

more than so so That's great advice

about investing in your community

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treating it I absolutely love that.

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My next question to you is how did you

get involved with the Saginaw Spirit?

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Craig, like I said, I was a season ticket

holder, and Craig and I are best friends.

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Dick, Dick is like a brother to me.

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So when they bid for the Memorial Cup,

they were looking for somebody who had a

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regional touch, or a regional presence.

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I pride myself on that.

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I've served on, uh, 26 Board of

Directors all over the region.

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People know me.

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I know them.

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They asked if I would be

interested in, being the face or

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the voice for the Memorial Cup.

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Initially, I, I said yes, only

because I wasn't sure we'd win it.

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And, and I was starting my own

company because I was leaving ABC and

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starting Jimmie Greene and Associates,

and I thought, what the heck?

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you know, my best friend, right, and,

and the Saginaw Spirit, so I said yes.

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you can imagine that when we won it,

and I'm not kidding you, when we won it,

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I forgot that I had submitted my name.

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And so, it was only after that

when Dick and Craig said, hey,

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we need to get together with

you and talk about your role.

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And I'm like, uh, what role?

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Cliff Duvernois: Oh, Oh

were serious about that?

175

Jimmie Greene: I knew

what the Memorial Cup was.

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But I didn't understand the depth and

the responsibilities of putting it on.

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That's how I ultimately wound

up with the Saginaw Spirit.

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I was so caught up in doing something

we had never done here before.

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So I literally suspended the operations

in my own business and said, I'm in.

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And from there, uh, Kayla Pionk my

partner got hired to do the internal.

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She, she is a Godsend, honestly.

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She is, she gives me my wind.

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Because I'm an external guy and there's

so many moving pieces to the Memorial Cup.

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And that's Kayla.

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let me make that abundantly clear.

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If there was credit to

be delivered, it's Kayla.

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Not me, not Dick, not Craig.

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She is the architect.

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And I always use the analogy, you know,

you have a big orchestra and a lot

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of people play a lot of instruments.

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One conductor.

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That's Kayla.

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And that's the analogy

I give all the time.

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She points, you play.

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And that's really what it boils down to.

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So for me, running my mouth, being

the hype guy, that's what I do.

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That's what I do.

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So, you know, I always

say I got the easy job.

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Because I make all the promises.

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She's got the hard job, because

she's got to deliver on all the

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promises that Craig and I make.

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yeah.

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Cliff Duvernois: I actually saw at a

a dinner event where Dick Garber was

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talking about the Memorial Cup coming

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And it's not that You were somebody

they called, him and Craig.

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You were the first person they called.

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Jimmie Greene: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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I, and there's a humility in that.

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And, but then again, it goes back

to maybe that's their withdrawal.

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the fact that, they've been supportive

of me, my family, and, when they made

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the ask, that was a withdrawal, but

they've deposited so much into me, and my

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success here, I mean, how could I say no?

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And I think that, that really is,

what's critical here is that we

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all play a role at some point, and,

they didn't overextend their ask

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of me based on all the deliverables

I've had with them over the years.

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Cliff Duvernois: Now, when they did

reach out and they asked you to do,

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be the point guy, basically on the

Memorial Cup, What it that made you

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say, yes, I want to be a part of this?

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Jimmie Greene: We had never done it.

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Cliff Duvernois: Oh, I love that.

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Jimmie Greene: I'm being

very serious, Cliff.

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We had never done it.

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That, to me, was incredible.

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Because one of the great things about it

is, I had already started my own company.

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I started a leadership group

here called the Saginaw Valley

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African American Leadership Group.

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I started another non profit called the

Henry Marsh Institute for Public Policy.

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These are things that had

never been done here before.

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I love templates like that

because who can say you're wrong?

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Like, there's no wrong

or right way to do it.

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There's just the way.

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And ultimately, the Memorial

Cup looked like that to me.

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It was like, when nobody's here, nobody

can say, you don't do it this way.

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You don't do it that way.

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So we had a chance to

create our own definition.

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We had a chance to do

something nobody had ever done.

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That was so exciting to me.

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It was away from politics

and, and public policy.

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And all those kinds of things,

which would become so toxic.

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And it was a chance to do something

that I, I really wanted to enhance.

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And that was my love

for the Saginaw spirit.

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And maybe it was my opportunity

to deposit back into the Spirit,

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which raised my daughters.

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You know, my daughter started at

7, 8, and 9, watching the Spirit.

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And, they never miss games,

season ticket holders.

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And for them to join us in

this effort, it was a godsend.

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I mean, really, to do this with your

family and your best friends, there

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wasn't even a remote possibility of a no.

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So, when you say, how did you do it,

it would have been more difficult

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to answer, why wouldn't I do

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The why I did it was pretty easy.

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And then I get to work with

people here in the Saginaw Spirit.

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People who quite frankly, they're like, I

mean they are amazing what they do here.

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And I only got to see it as a fan.

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And then you come inside and you watch

what, these folks do on a game day, the

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precision, the planning, the strategies,

the entertainment value that they have,

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the merchandise, you know, all the things

they do, the Lindsey's and Parker's

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and Nicole's and Gunner's and Eric's.

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And these people are just

amazing to work with.

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And it's been a blessing.

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Really has been.

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Cliff Duvernois: Was there ever at a

point in time when this got rolling

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that you actually kind of maybe

felt a little bit intimidated by it?

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Jimmie Greene: Only, and I guess this

is a personal thing, when I started, I

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was also, a week away from, radiation.

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Because I had discovered

I had prostate cancer.

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you know, so here, you know,

I'm battling prostate cancer.

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I had seven weeks every day.

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Seven weeks of radiation.

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It was taking a toll on me physically.

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I will tell you, though,

that, getting up every day.

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And let me make this clear to your

listeners, I'm not recommending by

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any stretch of the imagination because

radiation hits people differently.

274

But, I struggled.

275

But I felt, there was great

therapy in me getting up and I did.

276

So every day I'd get up the same way.

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I go out Memorial Cup.

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Memorial Cup.

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I, and it's, it's a pleasant, emotional

and maybe even a physical distraction.

280

when you talk about the timing of it.

281

I don't know what I would have done

or how I would have battled cancer

282

had I just not been doing this.

283

But because I was so committed to it

and dedicate it to it, and there was

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no possibility of me failing at it.

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That just wasn't going to happen.

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All of a sudden you just

feel a little bit better.

287

And by the end of the day, because they

wanted me to rest, I was so exhausted.

288

After, after radiation and Memorial

Cup, I had no problem just, just

289

falling on the, there were times

I'd just not even undress, I'd just

290

get on the couch and just crash.

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And then start the next day.

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So when you talk about challenges,

this was a challenge enough.

293

And then, uh, battling cancer along

the way was, added to that, but.

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Cliff Duvernois: How's

everything going on that front?

295

Jimmie Greene: Well, it's ironic.

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Because two weeks ago I got a clean

bill of, well, you know, I'm in

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remission, let me put it that way.

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Undetectable cancer, so.

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Yeah, I kept saying, you know,

I'll be damned if I do all this

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work and not see this Memorial Cup.

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I don't know what will I have.

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But, I, I just had an incredible

experience with the doctors here too,

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Cliff Duvernois: Awesome.

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For audience, we're going to take a

quick break and thank our sponsors.

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When we come back, we're going to

talk a lot more about, the mechanics

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behind the Memorial Cup and what

you can expect when you come here.

307

We'll see you after the break.

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309

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310

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311

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317

Hello, everyone and welcome back to

Total Michigan where we interview

318

ordinary Michiganders doing some

pretty extraordinary things.

319

I'm your host Cliff Duvernois.

320

Today, we're talking with Jimmie

Green, the sales director of the

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Get your tickets.

323

Before the break, we were talking a little

bit about your role, how you came into

324

the the Saginaw Spirit family so to speak.

325

and You said this analogy before and

I thought it was so cute that you're

326

out there making all the promises you

know, and Kayla's having to deliver

327

on the promises So let's talk about

one of the things that we explored a

328

little bit with Craig was that this is.

329

more than just a saginaw event Because

this is really impacting a lot of

330

other communities around, you know,

midland to you know, the west all the

331

way over to Frankenmuth to the east.

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So talk to us about basically just

like building out a team of community

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Jimmie Greene: sure.

334

To support this.

335

Well, I'll tell you.

336

It's interesting because one of the things

I did was I took a snapshot of what we

337

look like as a Saginaw Spirit structure.

338

And I mean fans.

339

name it, in September of 23.

340

My goal, obviously, which I'll get to

prove out or not prove out in September

341

24 was how much did we transform?

342

And I said something to you,

during the break where I said, I'm

343

transformative and not transactional.

344

So I thought with the Memorial Cup,

if we're just selling tickets, and

345

we're talking about, 15 to 20 million

dollar, investment here in the region.

346

And all we're doing is selling

tickets without transformation.

347

Shame on us.

348

I think no matter who wins the

Memorial Cup, and God forbid, I,

349

I, it's anybody other than us.

350

But I thought it would be a total failure.

351

So when we started, this transformation,

every single day I kept thinking

352

to myself, okay, you plant a flag,

and I always thought June 3rd.

353

In September, every single thing

I've done had the, okay, so now

354

they're gone home, what's left?

355

Now they're gone home, what's left?

356

So the opportunity was to expand our

fan base, to look at where we were

357

driving our traffic from, to enhance

that, increase that, to educate a

358

populace that, quite frankly, we hadn't

obviously reached, to go beyond Saginaw,

359

Bay and Midland, Isabella, Gratiot

counties, Tuscola counties, those are all

360

around Genesee County for that matter.

361

Flint Firebird fans are rabid hockey fans.

362

It was the opportunity

to really extend that.

363

I will tell you, uh, our exposure

now in places like Birch Run.

364

We've never seen the kind of, commitment

and fan support from Birch Run as

365

we have since the Memorial Cup.

366

So when you talk about what did

we do to enhance this experience,

367

to expand our base, everything,

and we, I went everywhere.

368

I don't think there's a Rotary group

I haven't spoke to, or a Lions group,

369

or any other group, and certainly no

Chambers, Convention and Visitor Bureaus.

370

You name it, where there

were people I spoke to.

371

and that, That's what I meant earlier

before the break about going everywhere,

372

getting up and really getting the

message out there, not selling tickets.

373

That was the key.

374

I never, I never went to

any of these places to get

375

sponsorships or to sell tickets.

376

It was education, education, education.

377

What the Saginaw Spirit

meant to the community.

378

what economic impact we were

having on the community.

379

And what economic impact we could

continue to have based on fan support.

380

So it was all about what

the Memorial Cup is and was.

381

And then that, uh, Oh, by the

way, came much later, which was

382

here's some opportunities for

sponsorships, for example, or tickets.

383

So it was an opportunity to

transform and when people kept

384

saying, well, what's in it for us?

385

I answered that right up front

before I even ask you for a

386

sponsorship or an investment.

387

It's like, here's why you'd want to

support us in the Memorial Cup and

388

didn't have a monetary number on it.

389

It was just support.

390

And you let people figure

that out any way they want to.

391

Cliff Duvernois: want to.

392

Certainly, and I know that

that part of this is because

393

we talk about transformation

394

Jimmie Greene: Mm hmm.

395

Cliff Duvernois: And part of

the journey of the Memorial

396

Cup is transforming Saginaw.

397

Jimmie Greene: Absolutely.

398

Cliff Duvernois: behind Talk to

us about some of those talk to us

399

about some of those projects there.

400

Jimmie Greene: Well, you know, it's funny.

401

We don't have the kind of downtown,

in Saginaw, that would have won

402

the Memorial Cup on its own accord.

403

That transformation.

404

So you look at what you were.

405

Mm hmm.

406

And you look at what you could

be based on the Memorial Cup.

407

That was really the key.

408

That was the goal.

409

So we kept thinking, okay, how

do we get more retail down there?

410

How do we get more transportation?

411

We started working with Stars.

412

Stars was amazing.

413

Now remember, we're going to play hockey.

414

If it was just about hockey, none of the

things I'm talking about even matters.

415

It was really more about community.

416

So we worked with STARS to change

their routes, their times, I

417

mean, the transportation at, in

and around all of Saginaw County

418

is free over that period of time.

419

No matter where you catch the bus, you

can come to the Dow Event Center free.

420

that was transformative.

421

A lot of the routes now will

continue way past the Memorial Cup.

422

Because they've been able to see how

they can serve a community better.

423

that happened because of the Memorial Cup.

424

We think about the Legacy

Centers, for example.

425

We're starting our Saginaw

Urban Hockey Association.

426

We looked at our demographics.

427

We don't, we look white.

428

And that's hockey fans.

429

I mean, it's okay to say that, you

know, I don't know why people wouldn't

430

just say what's pretty obvious.

431

So why?

432

Well, access and opportunity,

in many respects.

433

So we started extending this education

piece out to minority communities.

434

Hey, you like hockey?

435

We started inviting them, during the

regular season, to come to hockey games.

436

And that worked really well.

437

I mean, They love hockey.

438

So, that was an opportunity, and so what?

439

It's reciprocal.

440

It's a vested interest.

441

They get entertainment.

442

We get a growing fan base.

443

it makes perfect, perfect math.

444

it's a perfect investment.

445

You're, again, allowing your community

to see a jewel that they didn't

446

have access or opportunity based on

economic issues, to participate in.

447

So the Saginaw Urban Hockey Association

we created will teach young, and this

448

is socio economic, there are poor white

kids who don't have as much access

449

as poor black kids or brown kids.

450

So it's purely driven on socio economic,

opportunities and vulernabilities.

451

Cliff Duvernois: Right.

452

Jimmie Greene: We're gonna take

them out to, uh, Saginaw Bay Ice

453

Arena, buy them their own skates and

equipment, teach them how to skate.

454

Even if they don't play hockey,

the recreational value of it,

455

just knowing how to ice skate,

because hello, we're in Michigan.

456

There's things called ice here like,

not like, like nine times, nine

457

months out of the year here, the

potential for ice, but I'll get inside.

458

Hoyt park.

459

there's a personal investment, 2

million investment going into Hoyt Park.

460

That's going to make it a little

league mecca for baseball.

461

And then, of course, during

the winter, they plan to bring

462

back the ice rink as well.

463

Imagine those, poor kids who now

grab their own ice skates and head

464

down to Hoyt Park in the winter.

465

Though, when you look at, and that

changes things, you know what I mean?

466

And this is, a segue to the medical

diamond that's coming down there too.

467

Everybody's excited about

coming downtown now.

468

and that's a Memorial Cup thing.

469

You know, we don't have to take credit for

it, we just have to do it and be there.

470

And I think when you talk about

transformation, I think there

471

are two schools of thought that

happen after something this big.

472

One is, thank God they're gone.

473

Oh, you know, well, let's be honest.

474

Thank God they're gone.

475

Or the other one is, God, I miss that.

476

I'm convinced, convinced beyond any

shadow of a doubt, three quarters of our

477

community will say, God, I miss that.

478

I do.

479

I really believe that.

480

And when I think about the every single

minute of every single day that we

481

prepare for that, that, that's it.

482

What's your community going

to say when they're gone?

483

I'm going to say, God, we miss that.

484

Cliff Duvernois: we miss that.

485

Yes, absolutely true.

486

And I love the, you know, taking the

socioeconomic challenged kids, bringing

487

them up there and something that I

had heard was even for the Memorial

488

Cup itself That you've set aside a

block of tickets for people who are in

489

Jimmie Greene: That was

my personal commitment.

490

Yep.

491

I was bothered.

492

We set up a lot of free

events at the Jolt Park.

493

We have concerts every single day.

494

Different genres, needless to say.

495

But I kept thinking to myself.

496

Something was missing.

497

So we had these events from 4 to 7.

498

At 7 o'clock, everybody crosses the

street to watch the hockey games, right?

499

Except the people who

can't afford to go in.

500

And I thought, God, that's the optics

of the haves and the have nots.

501

It is.

502

t's true.'t

503

And I thought it had bothered me.

504

I couldn't put my finger on it.

505

And finally it did.

506

So I started reaching

out to small companies.

507

Because they couldn't make the

investment with large dollars.

508

I mean not everybody here's a Dow.

509

Matter of fact, there's only one Dow.

510

But I kept thinking what if they

could do something like 600 bucks?

511

And we created this ticket package

for $600 you could sponsor 15.

512

tickets.

513

They could be for non

profits or children, right?

514

It caught on like wildfire.

515

there only because I'm the

516

biggest Prince fan in the world.

517

It just popped into my head.

518

I'm not kidding you.

519

520

that we would just disperse to our non

521

profit heroes, the Cannes Councils,

the Underground Railroads, the

522

Shelter Houses, Boys and Girls Club.

523

Let's face it, these are

the heroes in our community.

524

They, they captured the least of us.

525

And, East Side Soup Kitchen.

526

And, I know those budgets.

527

Why?

528

I served on those boards.

529

They don't have money to do this.

530

They can't afford to

come to the Memorial Cup.

531

And I kept thinking to

myself, wow, what a shame.

532

We will have tickets for their

staff who do heroic work every day.

533

Not just, you know, The ten days we

get to do hockey, for the Memorial Cup.

534

But every day they go back into,

in, into this rescuing the worst and

535

the most vulnerable of, of, of us.

536

And so they, we have tickets for them.

537

And they are so excited about that.

538

I think that's so cool to see

the Cannes Council staff or

539

Underground Railroad staff, at the

Memorial Cup after the free stuff.

540

So.

541

Cliff Duvernois: It makes me, it

makes me think that there's So.

542

many people out there that

want to do good things.

543

It's just that somebody needs to step

up and say, here, here's how you can do

544

Jimmie Greene: Yeah, yeah.

545

How you can benefit.

546

How many tickets?

547

Yeah, 2,

548

It is very, so we, we had to

disperse those over, the six games.

549

They're all round robin games because

we know the semis and finals would be.

550

But it was just the experience.

551

I mean, can you imagine that when that

free event happens, you got all, you

552

got 2, 070 people who might not have.

553

Otherwise been able to go over

there now with their tickets in hand

554

go over to the Memorial Cup game

555

Cliff Duvernois: Club.

556

It is a community

557

Jimmie Greene: It is a community

thing it has never not been that.

558

Why?

559

Because i'm the community

and so is craig So are you.

560

So is Dick.

561

That's who we are.

562

And the idea that those folks get

to see what we see, irrespective of

563

how much somebody paid, There are

some things, and I don't want this

564

to sound, so arrogant, but there

are just some things bigger than us.

565

You know, not everything we have to do has

to do with P& Ls and, things like that.

566

Sometimes it's just about

the feeling you get.

567

that's the best profit there

is, that feeling you get.

568

and for me, it's going to be a

little special because I'm the

569

guy dispersing those tickets.

570

So I'll know the people coming in.

571

Yeah.

572

We had these poor kids from Gideon's, gym.

573

It's a, uh, a boxing gym, that

teaches young kids how to box.

574

but it's more about self

esteem and the whole works.

575

So we hosted them this past game when we

had them on the ice watching their faces.

576

Amazing.

577

So I went right down to Joe

Mendez, who leads Gideon's gym.

578

I said, Hey, I went down, I

asked the kids, I said, Hey, you

579

guys want to come back again?

580

They're like, Yeah, yeah.

581

And one kid said to me, he goes, Yeah,

but next time I'm going to dress warmer.

582

I

583

Cliff Duvernois: you go.

584

Yes.

585

So they had a ball.

586

Jimmie Greene: they had a ball.

587

And so those kids will be

coming back to the Memorial

588

the Memorial

589

Cliff Duvernois: Awesome.

590

yeah.

591

Awesome.

592

Love that.

593

So, Jimmie, let's, let's talk a little

bit about the Memorial Cup experience.

594

Right?

595

So somebody, you know, they get

their tickets, they're coming

596

down here, events around downtown.

597

What's happening?

598

Jimmie Greene: Yep.

599

Well, first day, the first day

we're bringing the, the trophy

600

in on, on a military transport.

601

They'll be met by a band at opening day.

602

We have a flyover that day as well.

603

We'll have the governor here.

604

We'll have, the premiere,

Ontario here as well.

605

Uh, It's gonna be a big gala.

606

We'll have fireworks that day.

607

And that's just a, they'll meet the

four teams, it's a big giant dinner,

608

where they get, all the four teams

will be introduced at that point.

609

So that's that kickoff.

610

The next day, we immediately start

with the entertainment value.

611

We have the Hockey Hall of Fame coming.

612

And I just mapped that out

at the Dow Event Center with

613

their curators yesterday.

614

That's gonna be a fun thing.

615

We have a fan fest.

616

So many events for kids and, and adults

to bring their kids down, again, all free.

617

That's every day.

618

We have a concert from 4

until 7, every single day.

619

It's just so many things

that are happening.

620

We have a STEM Skill Fest.

621

On May 29th, we have what we call

School Day at the Memorial Cup.

622

So beginning at 8 o'clock and through

1 o'clock, we'll have over, uh, 2, 500

623

kids from around the region coming in

during that day, uh, watching things

624

called the Carnegie, Initiative, which

is talking about DEI, exposing American

625

kids to the idea that there are black

people who play hockey in Canada.

626

Lots of them.

627

And that, that is a display at the

Hockey Hall of Fame as well, too.

628

We'll talk about something really

important that day that we want

629

them exposed to, and these are

sixth, seventh, and eighth graders,

630

about the stress of social media.

631

Mental health value.

632

So magician coming in who will

demonstrate handling that kind of

633

stress, that stress that social

media creates for these young kids.

634

And we have to address that.

635

So it's a mental health day well too.

636

And then we follow that up again.

637

We have Walker Hayes

coming in on June 1st.

638

Big headliner right there.

639

Yeah, he's very popular.

640

Ticket sales are going

like crazy for that event.

641

We knew they would because,

country Western hockey, it

642

seems hand in glove kind of

643

And then again, every

day is almost a repeat.

644

So we have 10 days of just nonstop

activity from morning, noon and night.

645

We have a girl skills over the weekend

teaching girls who have ball hockey.

646

That's a fun thing to watch for

those kids who can't skate know,

647

they get the put the shoes on, and

and play hockey with their shoes on.

648

So we have a full day

of that on the weekends.

649

On Memorial Day, we planned tributes,

obviously for veterans because

650

Memorial Cup is a Is, is a, they

are honoring their veterans who have

651

fallen in war, for their country.

652

We're going to tie that in because it

is Memorial, Cup and Memorial Cup Day,

653

with our own fallen veterans as well.

654

We have a faith day.

655

at first Sunday.

656

We have all denominations.

657

They, they just met yesterday.

658

We'll probably have six or

7, 000, parishioners of all

659

faiths at the Jolt Park free.

660

That's a double service.

661

Cause they're going to be, I'm sure

they have service in the morning.

662

I don't know my Bishop will be

thrilled with somebody saying,

663

I'm not coming in the morning.

664

But I'll be there in the afternoon.

665

But whatever they will

have that opportunity.

666

So just, I mean, I could

go on and on and on.

667

But that's a repeat over 10 days.

668

Right.

669

Yeah.

670

Cliff Duvernois: If somebody's listening

to this and they're like, you know what?

671

I want to come.

672

I want to check out the Memorial Cup, cup.

673

I want to look at the events.

674

How can they do that?

675

Jimmie Greene: Well, first

of all, I would suggest.

676

we have shuttles.

677

State Street, Bay Road, Tittabawassee.

678

If you're coming from out of, the county,

um, Bay, Saginaw, Bay Midland, or even a

679

township, I'd park at one of the hotels.

680

And take a shuttle down.

681

Because I think, parking

might be compromised.

682

That's my biggest concern.

683

But, they can come down, free of charge.

684

They can drive down.

685

Take a shuttle down.

686

Come on down, period.

687

Cliff Duvernois: Right.

688

And where can they go to

get tickets for the events?

689

Jimmie Greene: They can come

into the Saginaw Spirit store.

690

691

They can go online.

692

SaginawSpirit.

693

com They can reach out to me.

694

Mine is simple too.

695

J S Greene, G R E E N E, at SaginawSpirit.

696

com.

697

698

I will say this though, tickets

aren't that ride, readily available.

699

We have an allotment set up for, I think,

about 50 or 60 percent, because remember,

700

we share this with two other, uh, leagues.

701

We're over 80 percent just here.

702

So by the time these other

two, champions start coming in,

703

we're going to be maxed out.

704

So I anticipate every

game will be a sellout.

705

So they want to get their tickets now.

706

And that's not a hype sale.

707

That's just the reality

of, uh, yeah, it is.

708

It is.

709

It's an international event.

710

Cliff Duvernois: Yes.

711

Jimmie Greene: It's

712

widely watched hockey event in Canada.

713

So they will follow their teams here.

714

Yeah.

715

Cliff Duvernois: Awesome.

716

Jimmie, so much for taking

time out of your schedule to

717

with us today.

718

Jimmie Greene: This has been

the best part of my week.

719

My month!

720

No, I love doing, I love doing, I'm

serious Cliff, I love doing this.

721

Because you get a chance

to just talk, you know.

722

It didn't even feel like an interview, it

was just an opportunity to go back and,

723

you know, I, I'm a person of great faith.

724

And so when you have this opportunity

to sit down and tie all that into

725

a, kind of a, keep com, I keep

comma, I use a comma in my life.

726

No periods yet.

727

And this is just another

healthy comma in my life.

728

And I appreciate the opportunity

to sit with you and talk.

729

Cliff Duvernois: Yes, and we, we

definitely appreciate your time

730

and sharing your story with us and

especially about the Memorial Cup,

731

Jimmie Greene: I'm off, I'm actually

off to the, Habitat for Humanity.

732

They're having an annual dinner.

733

And one of the, one of the, uh, recipients

of, uh, Memorial Cup tickets as well too.

734

So

735

Cliff Duvernois: there you go.

736

Perfect.

737

Awesome.

738

Uh, for our audience you can

always roll over to TotalMichigan.

739

com and click on Jimmie's interview and

get the links that he mentioned above.

740

Address, phone number as well.

741

Uh, We'll see you next time when we

talk to another Michigander doing

742

some pretty extraordinary things.

743

We'll see you then.