The ceremony is set for 6 to 8 p.m. near the Mariners Memorial Lighthouse at Belanger Park, off Belanger Park Drive and Marion.

The event is held in River Rouge because that’s the city where the vessel was built in 1957 and ’58.

Several speakers will give their memories of the ship, including people who helped construct it and relatives of some of the deceased crewmen.

Artifacts and photographs also will be on display.

At 7:10 p.m. — the time the ship sank — a wreath will be tossed into the Detroit River. A bell will be rung 29 times in memory of each person who died.

A plaque presentation and lantern lighting is planned. Refreshments will be provided at the end.

Event organizer Roscoe Clark has a Web site devoted to the vessel, which contains several video clips, photos and new information about the ship, at http://www.ssEdmundFitzgerald.com

Earlier in the day, an Edmund Fitzgerald open house will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. at the River Rouge Historical Museum, 10750 W. Jefferson Ave.
http://www.RiverRougeMuseum.com

For more information on either event, visit the Web site or call Clark at 1-810-519-2148 or Dolores Swekel at 1-313-842-7822.

Night Watch for the
Edmund Fitzgerald
Live November 10, 2010
at the Memorial Service

In honor of the 50th anniversary year of the launching of Michigan’s most famous ship, Edmund Fitzgerald, Pinconning Area Schools Drama Department will proudly present Ten November as its fall production. The drama, by playwright Steven Dietz, lyrics by Eric Peltoniemi, is a serious work that explores the legendary freighter from her birth in the shipyards of Detroit, to her death on the seas of Lake Superior, and ultimately, to her place in history as a maritime legend. Performances will take place in the Pinconning Area High School gym on November 10, 14, 15, and 16. Curtain time on Friday and Saturday (10/14 & 10/15) is at 7:00PM. Sunday, 10/16 is a matinee performance at 2:00PM.
On the 33rd anniversary of the tragic sinking, Monday, November 10, 2008, a special memorial performance will be preceded by a panel discussion of noted Edmund Fitzgerald researchers, explorers, historians, former crew members, and family members of those who perished with the Fitzgerald. At this unique presentation, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions of individuals who have explored the wreck, men who have conducted extensive research into the sinking, as well as men who took part in building the ill-fated vessel some fifty years ago. In addition, through live phone interviews, audience members will hear first hand accounts from a captain who was on Lake Superior that fateful night, as well as commentary from the naval architect who designed the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Audience members attending the memorial performance on November 10th will each receive a memorial postcard and official memorial launch ticket – commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Fitzgerald’s launch. At the close of the performance, a bell similar to a ship’s bell, will be rung 29 times in remembrance of the men who died when the Edmund Fitzgerald foundered 33 years ago. Honored guests partaking in this special performance, as well as members of the community will be invited to ring the memorial bell as the crew roster from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s final journey is read. Plans are underway to have a small party of Edmund Fitzgerald dignitaries place a wreath in nearby Lake Huron earlier in the day.
Many people only know of the legend of the Edmund Fitzgerald through singer Gordon Lightfoot’s haunting ballad, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The play Ten November, through the voices of the actors, as well as eerily evocative folksongs, puts a human face on this infamous tragedy. The reason for the ship’s sinking still remains a mystery and several theories abound.

http://www.whitefishpointwatch.com/edmund_fitzgerald.php

http://www.whitefishpointwatch.com/fitz_bell.php

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon on June 7th, 1958, as more than 10,000 people lined the banks of the Detroit River. They had come to witness the launching of Hull 301 at the Great Lakes Engineering Works of River Rouge, Michigan.
Mrs. Edmund Fitzgerald, wife of the president of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company for which the ship was named, christened the brand new ship and at 12:34 p.m. the 729 ft. “Edmund Fitzgerald” slid gracefully into the basin amid cheers, salutes, and well wishers.
For many of those in attendance, it was a spectacle that they would never forget.
The shipyard workers who constructed “Big Fitz” felt a deep sense of satisfaction as they anxiously watched the launch of this marvelous vessel. Being a prideful lot, they often endured long hours and harsh conditions. This was their “crowning achievement” and the beauty of their craftsmanship was truly evident to all those present.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of that memorable event. It is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate a joyous time in our lives. It is also a chance to recall the great pride and cherished memories experienced by the ship workers, the community, and all who had the opportunity to witness the launching of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
On this historic occasion, let us joyously share our personal stories, renew old friendships, and fondly remember the day when the “Queen Of The Lakes” was born.
June 7, 2008 Detroit MI

The planners of the 2008 event welcome other community inputs since Detroit has significantly contributed to making America an industrial giant from the early days of Michigan’s history.

Please accept this my offer to work with you to produce a Celebration Video ..Absolute Michigan which would incorporate stills and rolling footage to provide an historic and present day celebration of your fine and glorious place on this world.

We could incorporate original music and stills…upload it to Youtube and link to this forum. If anyone would like to co-produce this with the studio, please contact me at:
StonewallStudios@gmail.com.

Sincerely,
Thomas J.(Tom) Salter
a.k.a Teejaysang
a.k.a Gahoendoe