Grand Rapids Zombie Walk

[Veloise]

I'm glad to see this event happen. Good to see him get back to some brainless fun, and to take our record back.

[GRDadof3]

Or throw Santas off of buildings?

[Allison Slater]

Or throw Santas off of buildings?

[Veloise]

Food fight!

Wet paper airplanes

Runny chalk

[Veloise]

Tomorrow night (Friday), Calder Plaza. (Note new improved location. I guess this means no more pleading with the City Commission for an extension on 10pm noise, since no one lives nearby.)

Several sideshows, including:

• Tommy Allen's kissing booth

• Liam the Extra-Large Leprechaun's Irish zombies

• and my own zombie marching band

[GRDadof3]

They only need slightly over 4000 zombies to beat the world record. Seriously? Rob told me he thinks 10,000 - 15,000 might show up. That would pretty much solidify GR in the record books for a while.

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/10/grand_rapids_zombie_walk_has_r.html

[fotoman311]

They only need slightly over 4000 zombies to beat the world record. Seriously? Rob told me he thinks 10,000 - 15,000 might show up. That would pretty much solidify GR in the record books for a while.

http://www.mlive.com...walk_has_r.html

[wingbert]

Me, Wichita and Columbus will be there in our yellow Hummer with the number 3 on the door.

[Allison Slater]

They only need slightly over 4000 zombies to beat the world record. Seriously? Rob told me he thinks 10,000 - 15,000 might show up. That would pretty much solidify GR in the record books for a while.

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/10/grand_rapids_zombie_walk_has_r.html

[aowwt]

Do you know when we will find out about the true numbers. He did say in the press that he thought he had something like 6000 people or something show up?

[Veloise]

Do you know when we will find out about the true numbers. He did say in the press that he thought he had something like 6000 people or something show up?

[Veloise]

According to Rob's event page on Facebook, the zombie walk is $6k in the hole. He's set up a Paypal account for donations.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Rob-Bliss-Events/146657600188?v=feed&story_fbid=203284540335&ref=mf

I can only imagine being 21 and having this happen...

[joeDowntown]

Equals dumb. Equals walk before you can run.

According to Rob's event page on Facebook, the zombie walk is $6k in the hole. He's set up a Paypal account for donations.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Rob-Bliss-Events/146657600188?v=feed&story_fbid=203284540335&ref=mf

I can only imagine being 21 and having this happen...

[Veloise]

The Founders Day parade, originally scheduled for May 1, may or may not happen.

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/03/event_planner_rob_bliss_kicks.html

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/04/rob_bliss_may_1_founding_day_p.html

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/04/rob_bliss_delays_decision_on_f.html

[joeDowntown]

I'm not in the camp that hates on Rob Bliss, but he needs a media person. Some of his comments come out very conceited. The thing I don't understand is that they may not have it on May 1 (due to rain) because of concerns on how much time people spent on floats and their ultimate destruction in the elements. Yet, if it rains, the floats will never be seen by anyone (which to me is worse than soggy floats). That says to me that there are not many floats and he decided to cut bait.

Joe

The Founders Day parade, originally scheduled for May 1, may or may not happen.

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/03/event_planner_rob_bliss_kicks.html

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/04/rob_bliss_may_1_founding_day_p.html

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/04/rob_bliss_delays_decision_on_f.html

[GRDadof3]

I'm not in the camp that hates on Rob Bliss, but he needs a media person. Some of his comments come out very conceited. The thing I don't understand is that they may not have it on May 1 (due to rain) because of concerns on how much time people spent on floats and their ultimate destruction in the elements. Yet, if it rains, the floats will never be seen by anyone (which to me is worse than soggy floats). That says to me that there are not many floats and he decided to cut bait.

Joe

[Veloise]

I was told that my Grand Rapids Band Instrument Co. item (circa 1930), "compared to other entries the tie between how this celebrates the history or current happenings in the city of Grand Rapids is not strong enough."

Here's a comment from his event page on FB:

"Some clarification on this GR Press Article quote that can be taken the wrong way: What I mean by the last event where I depend on people to do something for me is the difference between the pillow fight and the chalk event. I depend on people to bring their pillows, as opposed to simply providing all attendees with chalk. By simply doing all the work its insurance in a way, in case a large amount of people show up without bringing whats required. Nothing to do with cockiness or self-importance."

[Veloise]

Canceled.

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/04/rob_bliss_cancels_founding_day.html

[wingbert]

Who's up for a water slide down Lyon?

Water Slide

Not sure how I feel on this. Could be entertaining.

[lstmk]

Its depressingly fascinating that this kid can get paid for ripping off ideas from yesteryear's Youtube videos.

Not just stealing ideas but copying unapologetically and then being praised by shut in teens and 20-somethings as if his originality is his own.

Did I mention he's a Multi-Platform Account Executive? Is it cOLD in here or is it just me?

And yes I am jealous. I wish I could get paid to browse the internet and mooch off other people's creativity.

I'm all for people going out and having fun but I get frustrated when that fun is the result of disingenuous "creativity."

[/end rant]

[fotoman311]

This just in. Rob Bliss has organized a community wide sing along of "Chocolate Rain." Now that, I would definitely attend.

On a serious note hasn't everyone wanted to go down a water slide/slip-n-slide, on a hill even before youtube? Didn't someone break out a giant sheet of plastic by West Leonard Elementary last year for just such a thing. I'll never be the guy that complains when someone else does the work and gets someone to foot the bill to bring a fun free event downtown.

I do reserve the right to edit the last statement if Al Qaeda sponsors some sort of hopscotch tournament on Monroe Center.

[Veloise]

Might be appropriate to re-name this the Rob Bliss thread or the DT special event flash thread or the Facebook-invited Gen Y event thread. Or something.

While I like the idea of more big special events held DT, my concern is with the planning and execution. Joe touched on that several posts back, and anyone who watched the airplane dump (a spectator event) or looked for a restroom at the '09 zombie walk would understand. Rob needs to delegate and head up a committee or group, rather than trying to pull everything off by himself. He has done some reaching out, but then doesn't follow through, likely because he wants to "keep it a secret."

Interestingly, someone has set up some sort of benefit for Rob, asking for donations, and citing his current time of need. Again, there's a lack of sufficient detail behind that effort, and folks who respond are being told to respect his family's privacy. (It's hard to tell if this is legit or someone poking fun.)