Our home city of Grand Rapids has a lot of civic pride.

But there’s little this community has been prouder of than laying claim to being the hometown of our 38th President, Gerald R. Ford, and former First Lady Betty Ford.  The crowds of people who lined our city’s streets yesterday as Mrs. Ford was flown home for services and burial are a testament to her indelible legacy.

As Betty Ford is laid to rest today, our community remembers an exceptional First Lady who inspired millions with her courage and candor.

But more than anything, they remember Mrs. Ford as one of our own.

We have had a lot of great months at Amway. But June 2011, in at least one respect, was our best month ever.

That’s because Amway reached $1 billion in monthly sales during June for the first time in our 52-year history. And nine of our top 10 markets saw sales increases in June.

This milestone follows record sales for Amway in 2010 and puts Amway on track for another record year for 2011.

Athletes train for years to prepare for the Olympic Games, and for 2012, the Chinese Sports Delegation will add Nutrilite to their training table.
 
Last month the Chinese Olympic Committee announced their partnership with Nutrilite to be the nutrition choice for the Chinese Olympic teams.
 
The sponsorship will include funds, products, sports nutrition and dietary guidance and personalized routines for Chinese Olympic athletes.
 
This is the third time Nutrilite will partner with the Chinese Olympic Committee to help them bring home gold.

Soweto, just outside of Johannesburg, is home to more than 3 million people and is the most populous black community in South Africa.

Now Amway lives there, too.

Amway recently opened two Mobile Sales Centres (MSCs) so that Soweto residents – many of whom struggle with the availability of affordable transportation – do not have to commute long distances to see and test Amway products, learn about the business and receive training.

MSCs are a combination of an expo hall and meeting rooms that are modular. They’re designed to live in one location for as long as necessary, but can easily be moved.

Soweto’s MSCs are located in areas that are hubs of business and entrepreneurship, but they did cover uncharted territory.

“When we requested permission to open these facilities, it became clear to us that the city had never received a formal application by a company wishing to respect all local laws and comply with water safety, emergency and other procedures,” said Amway South Africa’s  External Affairs Manager Makhaya Manie.

Other companies simply set up shop. In what may seem like a small gesture, Amway waited. Doing it right took two years, but now that the ball is rolling, the vision is to place 90 MSCs in black communities all over South Africa. Residents will be able to walk or cycle to them and they’re intended for much more than selling.

“The goal is to give people a place to gather, discuss community needs, watch broadcasts of important local, provincial or national events and more,” said Manie.

In other words, we plan to be a good neighbor.

Former First Lady Betty Ford has six.

So do Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell and gospel singer the Rev.  Marvin Sapp.

My Grand Rapids in Six Words, or MyGR6, which launched last night, is a community movement designed to let anyone and everyone share their pride in our community by sharing their sentiments about Grand Rapids using just six words.

Mayor Heartwell, Amway Chief Marketing Officer Candace Matthews and The Grand Rapids Press | mlive.com’s John Gonzalez made the announcement during the Grand Rapids Fourth of July celebration.

Inspired by the six word story and memoir movements, MyGR6 will create, in the words of Mayor Heartwell, a library of stories about our community. People who have lived, worked or played in Grand Rapids are invited to share their six at MyGR6.com. Submitted words will appear on the web site, in media, and be used in an exhibit at the Grand Rapids Public Museum beginning in September.

And six authors of six words will receive six weeks of fame. A panel of community leaders will select the top six-word entries and those words will appear on billboards and in The Grand Rapids Press | mlive.com. The authors will also each receive the Ultimate Grand Rapids Prize Package, an exclusive collection of local arts, culture, entertainment, sports, restaurant, hotel and other prizes valued at more than $10,000. Entry details are available at MyGR6.com.

Amway developed the program and is sponsoring MyGR6 with The Grand Rapids Press | mlive.com, with support from the Grand Rapids Public Museum and Citadel Broadcasting.

To see the “sixes” developed by Mrs. Ford, Mayor Heartwell, Rev. Sapp and others, visit the web site.

And give thought to the six words you feel best reflect Grand Rapids!

Today is America’s Independence Day. 

We celebrate the Fourth of July with parades, fireworks, and family gatherings.  Amway is celebrating the day in a big way in our hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan,  and Nutrilite in slightly smaller fashion in Nuevo, California. 

Nuevo is a small town located about half a mile from Nutrilite’s Lakeview farm.  On Independence Day this small town hosts a parade of farm trucks, decorated floats and a high school marching band that travels down Nuevo’s main street.

Nutrilite has sponsored the parade in Nuevo for 15 years and our employees create floats and participate in the annual event.  They’ve even won the float competition seven times!

This year’s parade theme is “Small Town with Big Heart.”  We’re proud to be part of this small town that celebrates America’s independence in a big way!

Amway’s U.S. offices and world headquarters are closed Friday, July 1, and Monday, July 4 in celebration of the U.S. Independence Day holiday.

We wish our employees, distributors and friends a safe and happy holiday weekend.

And for those spending Indpendence Day in West Michigan, we invite you to join us for the Amway 4th of July Family Fireworks Celebration at Grand Rapids’  Ah Nab Awen Park Monday evening.  There will be music, children’s activities, and of course, fireworks to celebrate America’s independence.