Founders Day Festival: Detroit Metro, MI
The Sri Sathya Sai Center of Detroit Metro, MI, participated in the City of Farmington's Founders Day Festival for the sixth year in a row as part of its community outreach. This popular summertime event celebrates community, unity and diversity with a variety of activities, including a 5K Color Run, a Food Truck Court, a Kids Zone, a Fido Festival for furry friends, a parade and Crafters Market.
On July 19, 2025, members of the Sai Center marched in the Founders Day Parade alongside local businesses, religious groups, and nonprofits. This year, the Center also sponsored a vibrant booth at the Crafters Market, where community members could engage with Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) students and teachers and learn more about the human values as taught by Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The booth buzzed with interactive games and handmade crafts, such as magnets and paintings, that conveyed His timeless messages. Visitors were drawn to these positive messages, with many commenting on how they would love to read them daily for inspiration. The one-on-one conversations helped to affirm the belief in a single divine light that unites all of humanity, as many non-Indian visitors shared their own belief of universal love and common values that span all faiths.
In the Founders Day Parade, Sai Center members of all ages carried signs displaying universal values and Sai teachings, similar to Sai Walk for Values. People in the community recognized these values as the same values they hold dear no matter what their religious background. Over the years, the Sai group has become a familiar and welcome sight at the parade. Their English devotional singing during the parade was, as usual, a favorite with festival-goers, uplifting spirits and encouraging everyone to clap along.
The warm welcome and sincere love shared by the Sai Center's students and members left a lasting impression on visitors. The magnets and paintings with Sai messages will continue to be a source of inspiration to those who see them in homes across the community. As messengers of love, Sai Center members openly shared Sathya Sai's divine teachings with people from diverse backgrounds, showing gratitude through this act of sharing. The laughter, games, and feelings of neighborly friendship at the booth gave everyone hope for a stronger community.
Every initiative begins with a single step. By participating in the parade and hosting a booth for more personal conversations, the Sai Center members reached more people who were previously unaware of Sri Sathya Sai and His inspiring message. Sharing the fundamental and universal human values of truth, love, peace, right conduct, and non-violence is a powerful way to cultivate solidarity within the wider community.