Lear Corp., a Tier 1 automotive supplier in Southfield, will present a first-of-its-kind benefit Thursday evening for the Motown Museum in Detroit. The ticketed event, which is open to the public, will be held in a large tent in Capitol Park and near the Lear Innovation Center the supplier opened last year along State Street behind the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel.

Last October, the Motown Museum announced a $50-million expansion of its campus along West Grand Blvd., followed a month later by a $6-million gift from Ford Motor Co. and UAW-Ford. The expansion will include new interactive exhibits, recording studios, a performance theater, meeting spaces, and a large retail area.

The 50,000-square-foot addition will be designed and built around the current museum space and the Hitsville U.S.A. house, located at 2648 W. Grand Blvd. The Motown Museum is a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve, protect, and present the Motown story.

For Thursday’s event, called A Motown Summer Night’s Dream, guests will re-live Motown Detroit circa 1965 with a performance by The Four Tops, a cocktail party, a sit-down dinner, and access to the Motortown Revue Speakeasy Lounge and the Cloud Nine Rooftop Cigar and Cognac Lounge. There also will be Motown-themed karaoke.

“We have planned a very fun and memorable evening, and all proceeds benefit the Motown Museum expansion project,” says Brian Stevenson, marketing consultant for the Motown Museum. “We’re very appreciative for Lear for making this happen, and to Andiamo Restaurant Group which is donating the food. We are expecting upwards of 350 people, and tickets are still available.”

In addition, there will be a live auction that includes a private wine tasting for six people at Celani Family Vineyards in Napa Valley, a private suite for four people at the 69th Annual Emmy Awards, a hot air balloon ride for two people with a catered picnic basket by Andiamo Restaurant Group, a seven-day trip for two people to Rome and Florence, as well as several other donated packages.

“The Motown Summer Night’s Dream is our way of engaging with the community, and we are looking at having another (fundraising) event next year, perhaps in May,” Stevenson says. “

Patron tickets for Thursday’s event are $500, and additional ticket packages are available. For more information, contact Tonette Bryant-Carter at 313-875-2264, ext. 252 or tlbcarter@motownmuseum.org, or Lynn Wilhelm, 313-875-2264, ext. 226, or lwilhelm@motownmuseum.org.