LANSING – Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman today praised the awarding of $20,000 by the Consumers Energy Foundation to The Henry Ford in Dearborn. The funding will support improvements to the Henry Ford Museum plaza, which will include new benches in the redesigned area. The grant was one of two announced by the Foundation to southeast Michigan organizations providing significant educational and cultural programming to the region.

"I am always proud when The Henry Ford is recognized for its contribution to culture and education," Sen. Clark-Coleman said. "And, as one of the nation's leading tourist attractions and a major Michigan employer, funding to preserve and improve the facilities is critical."

The Henry Ford is a National Historic Landmark and the nation's largest indoor-outdoor history museum complex. Named for its founder, and based on automobile industrialist Henry Ford's desire to preserve items of historical significance and portrayal of the Industrial Revolution, the property houses a vast array of famous homes, machinery, exhibits, and Americana.

A second grant of $25,000 was awarded to the Detroit Educational Television Foundation in support of the Because Minds Matter capital campaign. The grant will be used for digital conversion of television broadcast and production functions.

The Consumers Energy Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Consumers Energy. It provides funding for a variety of areas including education, community and civic development, culture and the arts, social services, the environment, and emerging issues. The Consumers Energy Foundation contributed $900,000 to Michigan nonprofit organizations in 2007.

Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides natural gas and electricity to nearly 6.5 million of Michigan’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties

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