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December 12, 2008
Contact
Howard Lovy
NanoBot Media
news@nanobotmedia.com
http://ipromiseamerica.com
248-854-2730
FERNDALE, Mich., December 12, 2008 — What began as a small effort by a Detroit area cafe owner to show support for the Big Three automakers as the bailout drama plays out in Washington has grown into a national movement with a new Web site: http://IPromiseAmerica.com.
AJ’s Music Cafe, located on the main drag of a hard-hit Michigan community, began earlier this week offering free cups of coffee to customers who sign a promise that they will buy an American-made car. The reaction was so immediate and overwhelming, that owner AJ O’Neil briefly ran out of coffee.
The campaign is national now at IPromiseAmerica.com, where supporters across the country can sign The Promise online. If they’re anywhere near Ferndale, Mich., they can print it out and come in for their free cup and to discuss the latest news from Washington on the automotive bailout.
“This is the Main Street solution to this American challenge,” said O’Neil, who has received letters of support from officials at the United Auto Workers union.
“We are in the midst of an economic shift and no one quite knows when it will level off,” he said. “Though it sometimes seems so, we are not powerless. When you sign the pledge on http://IPromiseAmerica.com, you’re affirming to yourself that you are going to stay aware of that every time you make a purchase. Buying everything from cars that are American, to going to the the mom and pop grocery stores and coffee shops, will get us through this storm and return us to a strong economy.”
O’Neil said http://IPromiseAmerica.com will be updated throughout the campaign, with a social network added, plus a signup for other coffeehouses that would like to participate.
O’Neil is also a playwright and community activist who has a knack for drawing the community together. He made headlines worldwide last March when he hosted a 50-hour “Danny Boy” marathon that brought prominent politicians, including Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, to his coffee shop stage. He is planning to repeat the “Danny Boy” marathon next spring and is scheduled to release a book in February 2009 about how the event came together.
AJ’s Music Cafe is located at 240 W. Nine Mile Road in Ferndale, Mich. Contact O’Neil at 248-399-3946 or ajamesoneil@gmail.com.
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