Former Microsoft CEO and Detroit native Steve Ballmer joined SAY Detroit founder Mitch Albom today to announce a $5 million gift that will allow the nonprofit to begin redevelopment of an iconic landmark to benefit youth and families on the city’s west side.
With demands for SAY Detroit programming significantly outpacing the capacity of the existing SAY Detroit Play Center at Lipke Park opened on the east side of the city in 2015, the organization recently purchased St. Cecilia School and Gym with plans to turn the facility into its second after-school academic and enrichment center. The move will double the number of youth and families served and become a long-term permanent asset for Detroit families.
SAY Detroit’s expansion phase is supported by a $20 million campaign, with significant funding and pledge commitments already secured in the weeks leading up to the private event held this afternoon at St. Cecilia Gym, which welcomed Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie, SAY Detroit founder Mitch Albom, and other dignitaries, including Mayor Sheffield and former Mayors Bing and Duggan.
Rooted in basketball legacy, St. Cecilia was nationally-known known as “The Saint’’ and “Ceciliaville’’ where NBA legends such as Magic Johnson, George Gervin, Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, and former Detroit mayor Dave Bing sharpened their skills in the decades following the 1967 rebellion. But the building’s importance extended far beyond sports. It had long been a gathering place, an anchor for the Nardin Park/Russell Woods neighborhoods and a symbol of community pride before falling into disrepair.
Capital funding from the campaign will be directed toward the redevelopment of the 25-room school building and returning the gym to its former glory. Set to open in early 2028, the center will be an expansion of the SAY Play “model” providing much-need after-school education and enrichment services in a historically underserved community to meet diverse youth and family needs.
Ballmer’s donation to the nonprofit is the single largest contribution SAY Detroit has received in its history. Ballmer’s philanthropic efforts run deep in southeastern Michigan. In 2020, the Ballmer Group — a major philanthropic organization founded by Steve and Connie Ballmer in 2015 to improve economic mobility for youth and families through education and other career paths — donated $3 million to support the expansion efforts of the Motown Museum. More recently, the organization in 2024 unveiled Summer Discovery (now DiscoverWorks), expanding free summer learning for students, which includes SAY Play’s current six-week summer camp, for students all over Michigan.
Created in 2006 and celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year, SAY Detroit provides pathways to success for Detroiters in need through its learning, health care, and housing initiatives. The 501(c)(3) charity serves more than 4,000 individuals a year.
You can learn more about the project here, and make a gift today to support the redevelopment right now here.
