Scientology Stakes its Claim in Downtown Detroit!
“THE DETROIT AREA AND I ARE NO STRANGERS. I USED TO FLY OVER THAT COUNTRY A GREAT DEAL, DOWN FROM PORT HURON, DOWN AROUND THE GREAT LAKES AREA. IN FACT SOME OF THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF MY LIFE HAVE BEEN FLYING AROUND THAT AREA.”
— L. RON HUBBARD Ron’s Journal 28 Detroit
The Detroit team members made their target! In just over four months, they raised four million dollars and completed the fundraising for their new Ideal Org building.
The story starts this way: immediately after returning home from the OT Summit at Flag in July, the team dedicated themselves to getting their newly approved Ideal Org building fully funded and purchased as rapidly as possible.
OT Committee members worked closely each day with org staff and Sea Org members in Detroit. The OT team called and met with Detroit public face-to-face to enlighten them on the Ideal Org strategy and got them to understand the urgency of completing the purchase of the building. The team held numerous enlightenment events to keep the field informed every step of the way.
As Detroit raced towards the finish line, the theme of the Detroit campaign evolved naturally into one of velocity, and events were given racing themes: The Final Mile, The Finish Line, and the Checkered Flag Event.
As the target date for the building purchase drew near, the OT team decided they needed to just wrap it up. The team held a 9-hour meeting in which they decided not to leave the org until they worked out solutions to raising all of the remaining funds. The meeting lasted until nearly 4:00 AM on Friday 19 October. The next few days were very intense with team members working round the clock to complete the target—and of course, they did! The last $90,000 was raised in a single Checkered Flag event held on Thursday 25 October, and following a wild post-event celebration, the building was purchased the next day.
The landmark building in downtown Detroit, formerly known as the Raymond James Building, was purchased on 26 October 2007 by the Church of Scientology of Michigan. This is one of the most prominent org buildings in Scientology, built literally on the cornerstone of the City of Detroit, plainly visible on the skyline and easily seen from Canada as well. The location is, for Detroit, analogous to having an org in Times Square or London’s Piccadilly Circus!