By Aaron Emerson

A Day When Golf Was Secondary, But Fun

    I recently had the pleasure to take part in the 29^th Annual ArvinMeritor Golf Classic to benefit the March of Dimes.  The event took place at Indianwood Golf Course in Lake Orion, a beautiful private course and the home of the 2012 U.S. Senior Open.

    I was joined at the outing by three of my colleagues from Quicken Loans marketing, and I am told our sister company Fathead also had a team.  As part of the outing, we were paired with a celebrity – ours being long-time local ABC sports anchor Don Shane.  We quickly found out that we had an advantage since Don is a member of Indianwood and knew the course inside and out.

    We had a blast as we made our way through the 18 holes.  We ended up shooting 8 under par as a team, which would have been good had we not given away about 5 more shots. 

    But it is hard to be too upset when you are playing at an outing that is helping such a wonderful organization!  The March of Dimes does amazing work to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.  As a father of two, I am blessed to not have needed their help, but am glad to know the organization was there should I have needed it.

Overall it was a great time, with great people supporting a great cause.

By Chase Woolner

Check out this video created by the Cleveland, Ohio Chapter of the ALS Association to learn more about the disease and what You can do to Make a Diff!

By Aaron Emerson

Troy, Mich., August 11, 2009 - – The Michigan Chapter of The ALS Association today announced Bill Emerson, CEO of Quicken Loans, will serve as the Corporate Chairman for their annual fundraising event, the Walk to Defeat ALS.

As corporate chair, Emerson will oversee the Walk to Defeat ALS event, taking place on Oct. 3, 2009 on Belle Isle in Detroit at 9:00 am. The Michigan ALS walks raised nearly $100,000 last year to provide patient care in Michigan, as well as research the cause and cure for ALS.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord. When these cells die, voluntary muscle control and movement dies with them. Every 90 minutes, someone is diagnosed with ALS and every 90 minutes, someone dies as a result of the disease.

The mission of the ALS Association is to lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global cutting-edge research, and to empower people with Lou Gehrig’s disease, as well as their families, to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.

“The fight against ALS is one that touches me personally, having lost a loved one to this terrible disease. I am proud of the work that this group does every day to provide care, education and research that will one day defeat this debilitating and deadly disease,” Emerson said.

By Chase Woolner

    Camp New Look students were honored during halftime at a recent Detroit Shock Game. Camp New Look’s goal is to assist young people in becoming future entertainment moguls and entrepreneurs who have heightened awareness of social responsibility.

    Out of 130 campers from across the country (including L.A and N.Y) Detroit’s 18 campers held their own during the two-week camp by achieving numerous awards and accolades.  Students were awarded for their core artistic or athletic ability as well as their leadership and business ability.  Awards were presented for music, acting, dancing, sports, video production and overall best camper.  Here are the results:

Best Music Camper:             

    Carmen Seay (Southeastern High School) Communities in Schools

Best Video Production Camper:    

    Taylor Hopkins (Southeastern High/ Golightly Career) Communities in Schools

Best Overall Camper:                      

    Angie Perkins- sports camper (Cass Tech) Youthville

Quicken Loans and Fathead would like to congratulate all of the Southeastern Michigan students who participated in Usher’s Camp New Look.