By Demetrius Carrington
When the UniverSoul Circus comes to Detroit it brings much more than acrobats, music and entertainment. It brings an experience that feels connected to the people and culture of the city.
This fall that connection continues as the UniverSoul Circus once again partners with the Horatio Williams Foundation to give Detroit families an opportunity to experience one of the most unique circuses in America.
The UniverSoul Circus returns to Detroit beginning October 1 with performances scheduled through October 25 across from The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre at 2600 East Atwater Street.
For more than three decades UniverSoul Circus has created its own version of the traditional circus experience. The production brings together circus acts, music, dance and audience participation with performers from around the world.
That approach has made Detroit a natural home for UniverSoul.
Detroit audiences have embraced the circus and UniverSoul has shown that its relationship with the communities it visits goes beyond what happens under the big top. Through community programs the circus has supported families and created memorable experiences for children who might otherwise never have the opportunity to attend.
That commitment to the community is also what makes its relationship with the Horatio Williams Foundation so meaningful.
The Detroit based Horatio Williams Foundation is dedicated to serving young people through sports, education, leadership development and community service. Its programs encourage discipline, confidence and teamwork while exposing young people to new experiences and opportunities.
The two organizations have worked together before with tremendous results. According to the Horatio Williams Foundation a previous event with UniverSoul Circus welcomed approximately 2,000 residents and provided children and adults with a free night of entertainment.
This year the partnership continues as the Horatio Williams Foundation prepares to host another special Day at the Circus bringing families together for an afternoon of fun and community.
For Horatio Williams the opportunity represents exactly what his foundation was created to do.
The Horatio Williams Foundation is honored to once again partner with UniverSoul Circus and host families from throughout the community. Sometimes making a difference means providing education, mentorship or resources. Other times it can be as simple as giving a child and their family a chance to laugh together and enjoy an experience they will remember.
Those moments matter.
UniverSoul Circus understands that. Its community outreach has always been about more than entertainment. It is also about bringing people together and giving families an opportunity to simply enjoy themselves.
That spirit has helped make UniverSoul more than another traveling circus. In Detroit it has become a community partner.
The upcoming Detroit engagement will feature the energy that has defined UniverSoul for more than 30 years with acrobatics, skating, motorcycles, clowns, music, dance and performers from around the world.
For the Horatio Williams Foundation the most important performers may not be the ones inside the ring.
They are the children sitting in the audience.
Seeing their excitement, hearing their laughter and watching families enjoy an experience together is a reminder that giving back can take many forms.
Detroit has always been a city that understands the importance of showing up for one another. UniverSoul Circus has continued to embrace that spirit and the Horatio Williams Foundation has made serving Detroit’s young people the heart of its mission.
Bringing the two organizations together again is the continuation of a relationship built around a simple idea.
Every child deserves an opportunity to experience a little joy, a little wonder and a day they will never forget.
