Metro Detroit Youth Day celebrates 40 years of inspiring Detroit's youth

(CBS DETROIT) - The 40th annual Metro Detroit Youth Day was held Thursday after Wednesday's rain delay.

"Yesterday, we were just so disappointed because we had to postpone it because of the rain," Michele Simon said.

Wednesday's showers dumped roughly 4 inches of rain in some areas, but as Detroit and the metro area dry out, thousands of kids and teens are descending on Belle Isle to spend the day. Michele Simon is Ed Deeb's assistant. Deeb is the founder and president of the Michigan Youth Appreciation Foundation. Together, Simon and Deeb coordinate MDYD each year.

"Kids that are now parents are bringing their kids," Simon said. "So, that's how it gets bigger and bigger every year, and everyone seems to look forward to it every year."

This free event for kids ages 8–15 is all about fun and enrichment. From games to sports clinics, live entertainment, and education activation zones, MDYD has a little something for everyone.

"I would describe it as an event that's helping people create a pathway for their future," said Robin Foutner, a youth volunteer. "It's shaping what they want to do and giving them a clarity of what they want to do in the future.

Touted as the largest youth-focused event in the state, MDYD was founded in the 1980s with a mission to motivate and inspire. Decades later, that mission hasn't changed, and neither have the smiles on the faces of the hundreds of thousands of young people who have attended the event throughout the years.