GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Wednesday, April 1 is National Census Day, and the kickoff to a nationwide effort to get people to fill out the Census. It's a day Grand Rapids leaders had marked on their calendars.
Leaders for the city originally planned a big, in-person event to mark the occasion but since the coronavirus arrived in Michigan, the city started coming up with a new plan.
Mayor Rosalynn Bliss is going to host a Facebook Live event on Wednesday at 7 p.m. She will fill out her Census during that time and she's encouraging everyone watching the stream to do the same.
Afterwards, the mayor inviting people to go out into their driveways and porches for what she calls the "Grand Rapids Wave." It's a way to socialize with your neighbors from a safe distance.
The Census takes place every ten years and helps decide how a lot of federal and state money will be spent for services like roads and hospitals. It also helps draw legislative lines and determines representation in Washington D.C. and Lansing.
More on the Census:
- Whitmer declares April 1 'Take a Break and Be Counted' Day
- Census Bureau delays deadline for 2020 count by 2 weeks due to coronavirus
- VERIFY: Nothing suggests the proposed stimulus checks will depend on the Census
- 2020 census kicks off as notices are mailed nationwide
- Survey: Majority of US adults believe 2020 census will ask about citizenship, it won't
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