11th Annual
Hug Detroit Day
Sunday, August 27, 2023
1:00 - 11:00 PM EST
HUG Detroit Day started in August of 2013. It is the vision of Sky Covington and Sheila Everette-Hale who shared their desire and passion to take one day out of the year to literally HUG Detroit and its people. We want to show appreciation for the inspiring accomplishments of this great city and the people therein … to thank those who stayed here through the storm and those who came to help us rise above and excel as we create a New Detroit and new ways of being and doing things together.
HUG Detroit Day promotes community..."When we can all look at one another, and see ourselves then the good that I may want for myself, I will want for you also, regardless of age, gender, social status, culture, race or religion. Together we can rise up out of any situation, and create the city we desire and deserve to live in”, says Sheila Everett-Hale. Sky Covington’s concept, “Let’s get back to the days of hugs and handshakes,” comes from a place and time when people made an effort to give a hug or handshake, just out of love and respect for their neighbor or friend.
Founder of Hug Detroit Day (Hug Detroit Community Service), The Preservation of Jazz, Healing Song Foundation and CEO of Unlimited Sky Production, an entertainment production. Native Detroiter and 12 time Detroit Music Award Recipient for "Outstanding Jazz Vocalist" Nicole "Sky Covington" Freeman is a singer/songwriter, poet producer & playwrite. Sky Covington has a rich, elegant tone and an easy vibrato - think Billie Holiday, as well as Abbey Lincoln and Sarah Vaughan - Covington's best noted for her rendition of the Billie Holiday Tribute for 20 years. This sultry chanteuse makes every note seem personal, and her phrasing is unique, and deep. Sky Covington is a traditional jazz vocalist of yester-year. Also, known for neo-soul and electronic music, neo soul and improve. Sky Covington is a true entertainer.
skycovington.net.
Nicole Freeman
aka Sky Covington (Nikki-O)
Founder of Hug Detroit Day
(Hug Detroit Community Service)
Sheila Everette-Hale
Co-Founder
Co-Founder of Hug Detroit Day, Sheila Everette-Hale, is the CEO and Educational Director of Everette’s Natural Beauty School/Salon. She started her business in Detroit, MI, in 1978, migrating her entire family from San Diego, CA to Detroit. Sheila was instrumental in creating a new license for the Natural Hair Culturist in the state of Michigan. The license was signed into law by Gov. Engler in 1997, and in the year 2000, she opened the first 400 hour Natural Hair Care School worldwide. In 2008 Sheila created the first online Natural Hair Care Webinar, teaching both theory and practical techniques.
In 2014 Sheila founded Linking Everyday Extraordinary People (LEEP), a community-oriented business incubation and collaboration project dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship worldwide. The mission is “to create the space and opportunities for people to express and experience their full self-expression (passion) … and get paid.” It is the ‘Birthing Place’ … a place where visions and dreams are born, nurtured, developed and duplicated. She is the “Passion Gatekeeper”… helps people discover what their passions are and how to serve the world by sharing it.