GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - The five  finalists in the first "5x5" night in Grand Rapids had such good ideas, each one is getting some grant money.

"Each did such a great job presenting their ideas," says 5x5 founder Rick DeVos.

DeVos and friends put up $5,000 and invited people to present ideas that could benefit from all or some of the grant money.

"It's about sharing, getting excited about and supporting ideas," says DeVos. 

Tuesday night,  the five finalists pitched their plans to five judges at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. The awards were announced later at Reserve Wine Bar.

The largest grant, $2,000, will support "Fire and Knife," a traveling underground supper club.

"It's to put adventurous food lovers together with adventurous chefs to share an evening of good food and conversations about that food," says creator and chef Brian Gerrity.

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM)- An event that could pump millions of dollars into the local economy is coming to Grand Rapids.

Leaders of the American Quilter's Society announced Tuesday that they're moving their summer quilt show and contest to Grand Rapids for three years. Knoxville, Tennessee previously hosted the event.

The American Quilters Society says the show will attract up to 20,000 people from across the world and bring an estimated $15 million to the city.

The Executive Show Director of the American Quilters Society, Bonnie Browning said, "The quilters take over. They'll take over the hotels, they'll take over the restaurants and they'll be crowded here in the convention center."

The first quilt show and contest will take place next year from August 22nd to the 25th.

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - Michigan Senator, Carl Levin, says there are signs of significant progress in the war effort in Afghanistan.

The democrat visited Grand Rapids Community College Monday to share his findings with the World Affairs Council.

Levin is the chairman of the Armed Services Committee and recently returned from a trip to Afghanistan.

Levin discussed the anti-government protests that are spreading in the Middle East.

"We support democratic demonstrations and people having control over their own fate. We hope it leads to democratic elections which are true elections. We hope that's the outcome. If the outcome is just more dictatorship, that would be very troubling."