1ST ANNUAL MICHAEL JACKSON DAY, AUGUST 29TH IN GARY, INDIANA
Street Festival, Block Party, and Candlelight Vigil at Jackson Family Home

Gary, IN - Gifts of Talents Performing Arts Foundation, Inc. invited Michael Jackson fans, young and old, to join their first annual Michael Jackson Day Celebration in Gary, Indiana on Saturday, August 29th at the Jackson Family Home - 2300 Jackson Street.

The day of celebration honoring Michael Jackson began with a host of singers, dancers, and radio personalities. There were food and merchandise vendors, clowns and carnival style games for children, and many other surprises. The highligt of the event and the end of the evening was a candle-light vigil in remembrance of Michael Jackson to the song, Heal the World.

“Gifts of Talents Performing Arts Foundation is a not-for-profit that was created to develop, train, and encourage our youth in the performing arts. We want to inspire our young people to dream big and reach their fullest potential educationally, culturally, and socially by using the disciplines of the arts as opportunities for personal and professional accomplishments. To be clear, this event is not a birthday celebration, it is the First Annual Michael Jackson Day.” David Fossett, Founder of Gifts of Talents Performing Arts Foundation.

Governor Mitch Daniels who was unable to attend said, “The Daniels house was full of Michael Jackson’s music for all the years our girls were growing up, and I think Cheri may have been a bigger fan than any of our daughters. His music will live a long time, and Indiana will always be proud of the Jackson family.”

The Jackson Family Home is being considered for National Landmark Status. Metropolis

Listen to the theme song as you view pictures!

All Photos by Metropolis/All Rights Reserved

Preparations begin in the early morning...this view is from the porch of the Jackson home. Stage is being built in the intersection.

Bronzeville's Tenille Brooks of Aquemini Creations prepares her stage decorations...

Three early birds are some of the first to sign the banner in honor of Michael posted outside the family home.

One of David Fossett's first interviews of the day is with the BBC.

Making signs...

Distraught fan who became overcome with emotion...

Lip-sync and Michael Jackson dance routine...

Another interview with ABC...

Stage and street-sign...

banners printed by Bronzeville Signs and Printing...

Two cutie pies having a blast

Crowd begins to arrive...

Michael Jackson impersonator...

Another young dancer from the crowd...

Band Triple Dose rocked the stage and had a ball...

Audience scene...

Brian Grant peeps the arrival of V103...

David Fossett and Gary Mayor Rudy Clay

V103's Ramonski Luv, Mayor Rudy Clay, and V103's Glenn Cosby

Ramonski Luv greets the audience...

Ramonski Luv stops to greet Chicago vendor - Major of It's Major airbrushing, t-shirts, hats, etc...

Afro-centric Magician WhoSay takes the stage...

WhoSay captivates the audience...

Leila (me) and David

Marcus Muhammad and Lance X of the Final Call sell Farrakhan's latest lecture entitled,

The Crucifixion of Michael Jackson.

Barber J.T. did back-to-school haircuts and didn't stop for one second!

It's Major honors Michael Jackson with an airbrushed t-shirt...

Who is this Little Lion with WhoSay?

Look at that face!

Oh wow! It's Spider Man!

Saxophone player Michael Turner was fantastic...

Michael Turner

Popular dance group in Gary called Krucial Kreations

This little boy couldn't take his eyes off of her sign...he was totally mesmorized.

Glenn Cosby introduces David Fossett to audience.

David preps audience for vigil.

Not sure what's going on here...

Spider Man and his sister during vigil...

Heal the World

Fighting back tears...

Saying goodnight...

Michael Jackson: Heal the World

Photo: BBC.com

Michael Jackson: Heal the World

There's A Place In
Your Heart
And I Know That It Is Love
And This Place Could
Be Much
Brighter Than Tomorrow
And If You Really Try
You'll Find There's No Need
To Cry
In This Place You'll Feel
There's No Hurt Or Sorrow

There Are Ways
To Get There
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
Make A Better Place...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

If You Want To Know Why
There's A Love That
Cannot Lie
Love Is Strong
It Only Cares For
Joyful Giving
If We Try
We Shall See
In This Bliss
We Cannot Feel
Fear Or Dread
We Stop Existing And
Start Living

Then It Feels That Always
Love's Enough For
Us Growing
So Make A Better World
Make A Better World...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

And The Dream We Were
Conceived In
Will Reveal A Joyful Face
And The World We
Once Believed In
Will Shine Again In Grace
Then Why Do We Keep
Strangling Life
Wound This Earth
Crucify Its Soul
Though It's Plain To See
This World Is Heavenly
Be God's Glow

We Could Fly So High
Let Our Spirits Never Die
In My Heart
I Feel You Are All
My Brothers
Create A World With
No Fear
Together We'll Cry
Happy Tears
See The Nations Turn
Their Swords
Into Plowshares

We Could Really Get There
If You Cared Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
To Make A Better Place...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me

Other media coverage:

BBC

ABC Chicago

Gary Post-Tribune

Gary Post-Tribune Photo Gallery

Northwest Indiana Times