One trade-off for having gone up north for the Fourth of July was missing this “I am Flint” Festival, the outgrowth of a cooperative effort between community leaders and several big-name Flint athletes including Mateen Cleaves, Charlie Bell and Morris Peterson.
There was a big 3-on-3 basketball tournament in downtown, concerts, a rock-climbing wall and, of course, fireworks.
Another famous Flint basketball player, from the pre-Flintstone era, also pitched in. Jeff Grayer, now an assistant coach at his alma mater, Iowa State, intimated that the event might be here to stay.
“We wanted to do something for the kids,” Grayer said. “It’s only going to build in the years to come.”
